This is the first in a series of letters from our founder and teamaker
with personal stories and insights from Plum Deluxe HQ behind our latest offerings.
With our monthly tea subscription club now in over 30 states, we've been pretty busy around here trying to get our hands around that incredible growth - thank you so much for telling your friends about the best tea club ever! :) Having said that, this month we also released our initial line of cute tea mugs. This one,tea in the rain, is the best seller so far:
Because of the intensity of everything going on, we have decided that less is more, and thus we have decided to only launch 2 new signature blend spring teas this month (we were originally planning 4). We spend a lot of time in the tea kitchen tinkering with our blends and ratios and searching for the very best ingredients, because when we list "love and gratitude" as ingredients in our teas, we really do mean it. So without further ado, let me introduce our 2 new spring organics.
Afternoon 'High Tea' Tea: Peach + Pear White Tea
As many of you know, my love of tea began when I moved to Europe after I got out of school. I lived in the UK for several years and found a fond love for hearty black teas (with milk and a pinch of sugar, and a packet of biscuits for dipping!), but I still hold a special place for the fruity, fun, light teas that the Dutch do so well.
Every Sunday, for years, I would spend the day perched next to a large glass pot of tea with a candlelit burner underneath (sort of like this one) and sit with friends wrapped in deep conversation, or under the blankets with a good book. It was a tea ritual that I've never forgotten, a time when I learned that slowing down was essential to mental health.
My favorite tea was a white tea that had peach and pear in it. It was a distinctive flavor - floral, fruity, but somehow balanced so perfectly. I haven't seen a similar tea since. So, for the past few months, we've been trying to recreate this. And, we've succeeded. I'm so grateful to have this tea in my tea cabinet, and even more grateful for the opportunity share it - and the story behind it - with you.
Slow down for tea and conversation with our afternoon tea right here.
Portland 'Rose City' Chai: Spicy Blackberry Rose Tea
After the incredible success of our first Oregon-themed tea, Oregon Breakfast, I felt emboldened to continue highlighting our hometown in a thoughtful way. My mind drifted immediately to the question, "what would a Portland tea taste like?" and I immediately knew the answer: spicy rose. We have such great rose products here, and I like to continue to highlight them in our teas to show people that rose doesn't have to equal old lady perfume.
The journey to finding this blend was a challenge - it is one of our most unique combination of flavors. Who would have thought that almond, lemongrass, cream tea, and cardamom was a thing?! I knew we were on track because after we had a solid test blend in place, my right hand gal Carrie was visiting in Portland, and we went to a brewery that uses a lot of herbals in their process, and what was featured on the menu? Blackberry rose. It was a sign to me to keep moving ahead, and now that we've perfected our recipe, we're ready to share it with you. I'm looking forward to seeing this tea on the shelves of our local retailers, but more importantly, in your tea cupboard to share with your friends and family.
You can purchase your Portland chai right here.
