Blend 1776 Tea

During colonial times, tea was an important part of local culture as Dutch and English immigrants brought their taste for tea to America. Tea quickly became a colonial staple and was not confined to the affluent at their tea parties. Tea in fact was considered a healthy beverage and a sign of good manners and expected hospitality. Tea became the third ranked import among American colonists after textiles and manufactured goods. Tea played an important role in the trade links between England and the new colonies but by the latter half of the 1700’s England found itself strapped for cash due to the heavy financial burdens of fighting wars and maintaining its global colonial Empire. England resorted to taxing tea on its far-flung empire as a means of raising capital.

These actions provoked a violent patriotic revolt and a boycott on tea purchases. The famous Boston Tea Party was a trigger for the American Revolution culminating in The Declaration of Independence in 1776. During the boycott the colonists boiled everything from pine needles, strawberry leaves, maple leaves and shrubs to stem their thirst for tea. Our blend of Ceylon and Assam tea (both major tea growing areas of the old British Empire), combined with the essence of Strawberry and Maple captures the spirit of the revolution and puts tea back into the cup.

Hot tea brewing method: Bring freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 teaspoon of tea for each cup into the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot. Cover and let steep for 3-7 minutes according to taste (the longer the steeping time the stronger the tea). Pour into your cup and add milk and sugar to taste.

Iced tea brewing method: (to make 1 liter/quart): Place 6 teaspoons of tea into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Pour 1 1/4 cups of freshly boiled water over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the leaves. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste. [A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to double the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water.]