Before we get started on telling you why loose leaf tea is the créme de la créme of teas, we want to fill you in on all the benefits of this wonderful stuff.
Bagged tea is typically made from broken leaves of lower-grade tea, blended together to produce the same, standard flavor year after year. The result is that you might get a cup of tea that always tastes the same–but you won’t get a cup of tea with rich, nuanced flavor that comes from using whole, premium tea leaves.
The increased surface area of using tea “fannings” or “dust” (ew) in tea bags means that much of the original aromatic oils evaporate, leaving a stale, dull flavor. Not only that, but tea bags often include artificial flavoring, and can taste like the plastic or chemicals used in packaging.
No thanks.
Loose leaf tea, on the other hand, retains the original flavor of all ingredients used–tea leaves, herbs, spices, flowers, and even fruits and cacao (yum!)
Because loose leaf tea is fresher and higher quality than bagged tea, it also delivers a more powerful punch of all of the awesome health benefits delivered by tea leaves.
Health benefits, you ask?
Yep.
Black tea, green tea, and white tea are made from tea leaves in various states of oxidation that contain powerful levels of disease-fighting antioxidants. Here are some other pretty impressive benefits of drinking tea:
- May help you lose weight. Tea contains catechins–a type of flavonoid that may boost your metabolism and help you to lose weight.
- Boost cardiovascular health. Tea contains polyphenols–natural occurring organic compounds that can improve blood vessel function and increase good cholesterol.
- Improve gut health. The same polyphenols that are great for your heart can also increase the number of good bacteria in your gut.
Ultimately, loose leaf tea will be a far more effective strategy of getting these health benefits. Not only that, but bagged tea can contain harmful plastics that are released during steeping. In fact, one study showed that certain tea bags–made from PET plastic or nylon–released more than 10 billion microplastic and nanoplastic particles into water while steeping. Yikes!
Believe it or not, there’s a far greater range of varieties and choices when it comes to loose leaf tea (just don’t go to your grocery store). Think of it this way: Loose leaf teas can be hand-curated and blended, while bagged tea is mass-produced to generate a standardized flavor, as you learned above.
As a result, drinking loose leaf tea means that you can find a better-tasting blend that’s suited to your personal preferences–whether that means you love a fruitier blend, a grassier finish, or even a chocolate-tinged brew. You may even find yourself turning into an obsessive tea connoisseur (if so, join the club).
The key to brewing a great cup of loose leaf tea is to give the leaves sufficient room to expand. You can’t, for example, stuff loose leaf tea into a super tight tea bag and expect a great cup of tea. That’s why you’ll sometimes see loose leaf tea sold into larger tea packets or pyramid-shaped bags.
The trouble, however, with using these types of bags is that some of them are made from potentially harmful material (such as PET plastic or nylon mentioned above). Plus, using a tea bag is potentially, in the long run, less cost-efficient and less environmentally friendly than using your own filter or strainer to brew your tea.
That being the case, here are five steps to brewing your own loose leaf tea–no tea bag necessary.
To brew loose leaf tea, you can use a tea ball, strainer, or even a pot with a built-in infuser (more on that in a minute). Essentially, what you need is a compartment where you can measure out your dry tea leaves, where they’ll infuse the hot water without getting bits into your hot drink (Loose leaves make for great flavor, but they’re not exactly the “textural touch” you want in your beverage!)
(One of our favorite devices for making a great cup of brew is our Loose Leaf Tea Express Infuser–a BPA-free pot with a built-in stainless steel strainer).
Next, you’ll want to bring a cup of fresh water (approximately 8 ounces) to a near-boiling water temperature–about 175 degrees.
Next, pick your poison (er, choose your tea).
If you’re looking for something to help wake you up and slay your workday, we suggest Matcha Mind Control– a blend of oolong tea, pu'erh tea, coconut, walnut, dark chocolate, blueberries, and good-for-you (and awesome-tasting) spices.
If you’ve got a sweet tooth, then you might want to try our Dark Chocolate Cherry blend–a sexy blend of pu-erh black tea, chocolate chips, cacao nibs, hibiscus, wild cherry bark, dried cherries, safflower.
Or, if you’re planning on drinking your tea on the rocks, we suggest Green Tea Piña colada–a refreshing mix of green tea, coconut, dried pineapple, and marigold petals that tastes pretty dreamy as iced tea.
In any case, you’ll want to measure out 1-4 teaspoons of loose leaf tea, add it to the chamber of your brewing device and let steep in heated water for 2-5 minutes–depending on how strong you’d like the finished flavor.
Finally, enjoy your brew as is. Or, mix it up by pouring over ice, or adding a bit of natural sweetener and alt milk–we love a little honey and oat milk. Or, if you’re really down to get creative, try a tea-inspired cocktail or dessert.
At Rare Brew, we’re super into loose leaf tea...like, it’s all we sell. That’s because we believe in selling the good stuff only: high-quality, carefully curated ingredients that make damn good tea. Not only that, but we’ve carefully crafted a menu of teas that we’ve vetted and tested until they taste absolutely perfect. To check them out, click here.
]]>In fact, the average American checks their phone 96 times a day...checks their email inbox 15 times a day….and spends over two hours on social networking sites. The result? Unnecessarily long workdays and unmet goals – not to mention, more frustration and stress at the end of each workday.
All that being said, there are ways to naturally increase your mental clarity and level up your ability to stay focused on the task at hand (without popping a pill). In this article, we’ll take a look at three natural strategies to help you stay focused and slay your workday. But first….
As mentioned above, mental focus can feel elusive in a world of endless notifications and pings, social media, information overload and clickbait.
But there are other good reasons that you’re finding it difficult to stay on task, too. Before diving into how to level up your concentration and mental clarity, let’s take a look at what might be robbing you of your concentration in the first place.
Sorry to be blunt but...your attention span sucks. Let’s put it this way: You might have been better at focusing in the fourth grade than you are now. In 2000, the average attention span was 12 seconds. Today, it’s down to 8 seconds – which is pretty scary, considering there wasn’t a lot of wiggle room in the first place.
Of course, there’s plenty to blame for this. Smartphones, information overload, social networking and the rapid nature of communication have made us prone to sifting through information rapidly in order to move onto the next thing. The downside to this? Our brains are now accustomed to jumping from task to task rather than remaining keyed into a single project for an extended amount of time (or even for five minutes).
The good news? It’s possible to train yourself to stay focused, but it takes some intentionality.
Ah, sugar. It gives us a momentary rush, tastes like heaven after your lunch, and has been compared to cocaine for its drug-like effects. No wonder we love the stuff, even though we know it’s terrible for our health.
Sugar not only causes weight gain, but it’s terrible for your brain. It’s been found to “slow cognitive function” and result in “deficits in memory and attention” – bad news for your workload. If you find yourself reaching for sugary snacks, candy, or sweetened drinks through your workday, you might be unintentionally sabotaging your ability to focus by inducing productivity-killing brain fog.
Finally, mental focus can also be a matter of simple strategy. If you’re working in a cluttered workspace or working during a less-than-optimal time of the day (i.e. when your whole family is home, or at night when you’re exhausted), then you’re going to have trouble focusing.
Now, the good stuff: How do you naturally level up your mental focus so that you can stay focused and productive for hours?
Superfoods pack a powerful nutritional punch and are often loaded with antioxidants. Many superfoods are also great for your brain health, and as a result, can help boost your mental focus and clarity.
Here are a few superfoods that can potentially help you to focus better (In other words, snack on these instead of that bag of Kettle Chips).
- Walnuts are rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and polyphenolic compounds – both critical for brain health and memory. Polyphenolic compounds in particular can improve focus and memory.
- Dark chocolate contains a high concentration of flavonoids, which can also promote memory and cognitive function (not to mention, protect the brain against stress and toxins).
- Turmeric contains curcumin, which has been found to “support memory, calmness, and satisfaction in coping with mental strain.”
- Blueberries are rich in a flavonoid called anthocyanins, which have been associated with helping to manage memory function and improving glucose disposal in the brain.
Of course, this is no comprehensive list of superfoods that can help you boost brain function...but it’s a good start to a snacking list that can help you get through your workday with more focus – Or, if you want to try a tea that contains all of the above, check out Rare Brew’s Matcha Mind Control brew.
Caffeine is a natural stimulant that increases your alertness and, let’s be honest, helps you stay awake after a night out (or a late night at work). There’s a reason 80% of American adults consume caffeine on a daily basis; it works, and it’s often found in some pretty tasty beverages.
That being said, being careful about how you consume caffeine – how much and from what source – is critical. Consume too much, too quickly, and you’ll feel jittery and then crash – not optimal for staying focused on your work.
Drinking tea in place of coffee may be a better way to get that natural rush of energy without the crash. Black pu’erh tea, for example, contains 60-70 mg of caffeine compared to 95 mg in the average cup of coffee. Looking for an even mellower caffeine content? Oolong tea contains only 10-60 mg per cup – perfect for a pick-me-up that can help you focus on the task at hand without a caffeine buzz (or headache).
Finally, increasing your mental focus can also be a matter of simply adopting new strategies and mindsets that can help you get more done, faster.
The Pomodoro Technique, for example, dictates that you spend 25 minutes on a single task, and then take a 5-minute break. By alternating short spurts of “free time” with periods of intense concentration, you may find yourself better equipped to focus on the task at hand.
Or, you may try “batching” like tasks together so that you don’t need to constantly change gears while you’re tackling different projects. For example, you can set aside a couple hours for administrative work, a couple hours for meetings and communication, and then spend the remainder of the day on a single type of task – such as performing research or writing up a report.
Here at Rare Brew, we’re all about staying focused and slaying tasks quickly (after all, we’re a scrappy startup of tea connoisseurs – we know that #entrepreneurlife). That being the case, we rely pretty heavily on our library of superfood-rich brews to keep us focused and alert all damn day. The best part? They’re not only great for helping you stay focused...they taste pretty incredible too. To check out our full selection of loose-leaf teas, click here.
]]>Teabags offer the innocent appearance that they do no harm, but we are here to tell you that they are lying. That little bag filled with crushed tea leaves is not what you think.
When I learned that most bagged tea has plastic, I became curious about how often this happened. I have been a life-long tea lover, so I opened my kitchen cabinet and found that all of my favorite tea brands had used plastic in some way. I was drowning in plastic. It disgusts me to even think about how much plastic I have put into my body over my entire life. I realized how wasteful all of my tea was. A few days after learning about my plastic-infected tea stash I took myself to the ëcoffee and teaí aisle in the grocery store. I was disappointed that I never took the time before to actually look at what I was putting in my body. Every tea option on the shelf was a company that used plastic tea bags.
Using plastic in tea is not a one size fits all idea. Different tea companies use plastic in different ways. There are three main types of plastic use in teabags that you should know about.
We know what you may be thinking, why not just use paper teabags instead of plastic? Plastic is used to help seal the teabag and maintain its shape when put in hot water. You might be surprised to learn that many popular tea companies use teabags that have up to 25% of plastic in them. Paper tea bags would open and fall apart much easier in hot water. Paper tea bags would also not be able to hold their shape when put into hot water.
Many teabag manufacturers say that making plastic-free bags would be too expensive to keep a profit. These companies promote that their teas are great for your wellbeing, but they are much more concerned about keeping their profit than keeping their promise. You may be wondering if your favorite teabags contain plastic. We have listed below major tea companies that use plastic in their teabags:
Argo Tea | Bigelow |
Celestial Seasonings | Harney & Sons |
Luzianna | Mighty Leaf Teas |
Numi Tea | Red Diamond |
Republic of Tea | Tazo |
Teavana (Starbucks) | Traditional Medicinals |
Twiningís Tea | Yogi Tea |
McGill University that found plastic teabags do much more than just hold the tea leaves. Steeping one teabag releases 11.6 billion particles of microplastic into one cup of tea.
The high water temperature used in brewing allows the teabag to break down and let plastic be set free in your cup. The amount of plastic found from using teabags were thousands of times higher than what was in other foods and beverages, including bottled water. Bagged tea also contains metals. Microplastics can also contain heavy metals, like lead and aluminum.
Not only do plastic teabags infect your mug, but they also poison the environment. The kind of plastic that is used to bag your tea is the same plastic used in home insulation, packaging, and clothing fibers. Personally, the idea of putting the same plastic used in insulation into a cup of tea is nauseating to us at Rare Brew. Plastic in teabags also makes them only about 70% biodegradable. Even if you make sure to put your used bags in the compost pile, it may not be able to break down. Plastic tea bags are also not recyclable, so they are going to end up in a landfill. Plastic tea bags are a bad option for the environment, the compost pile, and your body! The crushed tea leaves inside the bag can be composted, but the extra step in cleaning out the teabag is such a hassle. Don't poison your body any longer! Ditch the tea bags and switch to the more flavorful, more natural loose-leaf tea.
Interested in trying high-quality loose-leaf tea?
Check out our selection of full flavor, natural loose-leaf teas.
Happy Brewing!
Most of us have seen coffee-infused cocktails (Hello, Bailey's Irish Cream + Coffee + Whipped Cream) on different menus, but many of us haven’t thought of putting tea into an alcoholic drink. Instead, we tend to reserve our infused brews for when we’re feeling a little...tamer.
Well, we’re here to mix things up for you. Tea has a wildly dynamic flavor profile that pairs excellently with all kinds of alcohol. Tea in your drink offers more than a two-dimensional sugary fruit + alcohol combo, for example–adding bitter, herbal, sharp, and sweet flavors that taste amazing with your favorite mixers. In fact, tea has been mixed with alcohol for hundreds of years, dating all the way back to 18th century “punches.”
Fast forward a couple hundred years, and we’re reviving this trend–this time with an eclectic mix of our high-quality, curated teas made with superfood fruits, nuts, spices, and more. That being the case, Rare Brew has developed our own library of tea recipes for cocktails to make this stay-at-home summer just a little more exciting:
Fresh Harvest is a sophisticated cocktail featuring our Raspberry Pomegranate Tea, tequila, and Thai Basil. Refreshing and not too sweet–perfect for your post-remote work cocktail.
1 oz prepared, cool Raspberry Pomegranate Rare Brew tea (see directions below)
2 oz tequila
4 leaves Thai basil
3/4 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
Steep 4 teaspoons of Raspberry Pomegranate tea with 8 oz of hot water for two minutes. Let it cool and measure out 1 oz. Then combine tea, Thai Basil, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a shaker, shake well and strain into a coupe or martini glass. Garnish with an edible flower or a lemon twist.
Kentucky Tea is a Southern-inspired drink in the roundup, featuring our Bourbon Ginger Pear blend and our personal favorite–bourbon. Kick back on the porch (or the couch) and enjoy.
4-6 oz prepared, cool Bourbon Ginger Pear Rare Brew tea (see directions below)
2 oz bourbon or rye whiskey
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
Steep 2 teaspoons of Bourbon Ginger Pear with 8 oz of hot water for two minutes. Let it cool, and measure out 4-6 oz. Then, combine tea, bourbon, simple syrup, and lemon juice into a shaker. Shake well and strain into a tall glass over ice. Top with tea and stir to combine. Garnish with a lemon wedge.
Here’s our tea-infused twist on the classic hot toddy–made with our Blueberry Earl Grey.
4-8 oz prepared, hot Blueberry Earl Grey Rare Brew tea (see directions below)
2 oz bourbon or rye whiskey
1 oz honey
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
Steep 2 teaspoons of Blueberry Earl Grey with 8 oz of hot water for three minutes. Carefully add hot tea to whiskey, honey, and lemon in a mug or footed coffee glass. Garnish with a lemon wedge.
No one has garden parties anymore...but you can still drink like you do. Nothing says summer like mint, cucumber, vodka, and our Green Tea Piña Colada brew.
4-6 oz prepared, cool Green Tea Piña Colada Rare Brew Tea (see directions below)
10 mint leaves
4 slices cucumber
2 oz vodka
1/2 oz simple syrup
1/2 oz lemon juice
Steep 4 teaspoons of Green Tea Piña Colada with 8 oz of hot water for two minutes and let cool. Measure out 4-6 oz of tea. Muddle mint and cucumber in a shaker. Add cooled tea, vodka, simple syrup, lemon juice, and ice. Shake well and strain into a tall glass over ice. Top with tea and stir to combine. Garnish with a mint sprig.
Submitted by Rare Brew fan Linda Thomas in our cocktail recipe contest, “Georgia Blues” is a sweet Southern spin on a summer cocktail–pairing our Blueberry Earl Grey with fresh peaches, blueberries, and Peach Schnapps.
2 teaspoons of Rare Brew Earl Grey
8 oz hot water
1 ½ oz Peach Schnapps
A fresh peace, cut into slices
A handful of fresh or frozen blueberries
Steep Blueberry Earl Grey in 8 oz hot water for three minutes. Pour into a glass with ice, add Peach Schnapps, and stir. Add fresh peach slices and blueberries, and enjoy!
Submitted by Rare Brew fan Vanessa Ronspies, “Chocolate Cherry Avalanche” is a decadent dessert cocktail that combines our Chocolate Cherry Tea with a rich combo of vanilla ice cream, cherries, Bailey's Irish Cream, and chocolate liqueur. A big favorite for our chocolate lovers...and definitely our sexiest drink.
2 teaspoons of Rare Brew’s Chocolate Cherry Tea
4 oz hot water
2 scoops of vanilla ice cream
6 cherries
1 oz Bailey’s Irish Cream
1 oz chocolate liqueur
A drizzle (or two) of chocolate sauce
Steep Chocolate Cherry Tea with 4 oz of hot water for three minutes. Meanwhile, blend vanilla ice cream with cherries, Bailey's, chocolate liqueur, and a few ice cubes. Combine with the tea and pour into a tall glass drizzled with chocolate sauce. More chocolate on top if you’re feeling “extra”!
If you’re into playing around with your own flavor combos, here are some ideas for developing your own unique tea-infused recipes for cocktails, mocktails, and even desserts.
Most teas will pair well with fruity flavors, especially bold, juicy flavors found in berries and stone fruits. Try adding frozen fruit to a tea + liquor + soda water mix, or macerating a combo of stone fruit and berries with tea and simple syrup.
If you’re dairy-free, try combining hot (or cold) tea with your favorite alt milk–green teas pair especially well with coconut milk, and black teas taste amazing with rich, creamy oat or cashew milk. If you’re extra crafty, you can even try steeping tea with alt milk (instead of water), and then using the infusion to make homemade ice cream (We’re thinking almond milk + Dark Chocolate Cherry sounds pretty bomb).
Yep, we said it. Tea-infused cookies taste amazing, and they’re easy to make, too. Try infusing melted butter with loose leaf tea to make your very own shortbread cookies (Matcha Mind Control and Blueberry Earl Grey are two of our favorites). Then, enjoy with–what else–a cup of tea.
The bottom line?
Tea is freaking awesome.
It goes way farther than your basic hot or cold brew (although we’ll never turn down that, either). Whether you love a good cocktail or you’re more of a dessert person, you can use tea to change things up, add layers of flavor, and create your very own unique recipes.
The one thing to remember? Using a high-quality loose leaf tea–like Rare Brew’s–imparts the rich flavor needed in cocktails and desserts. Check out our full list of brews (and start planning your next tea-infused recipe).
Want more reasons why tea is awesome? Read our ebook: Tea Won't Make You a Superhero...But it Will Come Close.
]]>Get Focused, Prevent Sickness, Lose Weight, and More with Natural, Plant-Based Compounds
]]>But how the heck do you cram all of them into your daily diet?
At Rare Brew, we’re pretty firm believers in the power of a good beverage to reap maximum health benefits.
So, we’ve written a book on the superfood ingredients you can find right in your morning brew. It’s called Tea Won’t Make You a Superhero...But It Will Come Close.
In this brief, but actionable ebook, you’ll learn:
Don’t miss it!
]]>Rolling out of bed and slipping on a pair of Nikes might not be super appealing to you, especially if you struggle with the snooze button. But incorporating exercise into your morning routine – whether that’s a jog around the neighborhood, a 20-minute HIIT session, or a yoga class – can pay off.
Here’s how a morning workout can benefit the rest of your day:Finally, starting off your day with physical activity can help set the tone for healthier nutritional choices throughout the remainder of your day...and make sitting at a desk all day that much easier.
Drinking a hot beverage first thing in the morning can help you rehydrate after a long night of sleep, help you wake up, and jumpstart your digestive system. And, it gives you something to look forward to – a tasty incentive to getting out of bed and getting started on your day.
Plus, drinking a hot beverage – such as tea – has some pretty enticing health benefits. In fact, a study published in the journal Food Quality and Preference found that drinking tea can actually stimulate your creativity.
Rare Brew’s Matcha Mind Control, for example, can help you focus better and clear your brain fog with a combo of oolon, puerh, coconut, dark chocolate, and other brain-boosting superfood ingredients (Plus it tastes amazing).
You might also want to try a refreshing white tea for a low-caffeinated boost of antioxidants...or if you’ve got a sweet tooth, a tea that tastes like dessert (without all the sugar and carbs).
In the past, meditation was associated with a specific brand of spirituality and practiced only by the “super spiritual.” But meditative practice has become increasingly mainstream as people have begun to recognize its multitude of benefits – including improved heart health, reduced stress and anxiety, and improved immunity.
While meditation might look different for everyone, this practice does have some common themes – including silence and intentional focus. Try setting a timer in the morning to spend some time in a quiet space with no distractions. You might even want to engage in some meditative breath, such as the 4-7-8 practice, or try repeating a personal mantra.
Like meditation, journaling will look different for everybody. The important thing? Setting aside the time and space to actually do it.
Some of the most financially successful people in the world devote exceptional amounts of their time to read. Warren Buffet read 600-1,000 pages a day when he started off as an investor, and Bill Gates reads 50 books every single year. Reading is key to remaining a constant learner, and having a growth mindset.
Try setting aside 15-20 minutes every morning to read information that will help you develop as a person and as a professional. This routine helps you learn a lot over the long haul – and it will give you valuable extra time to finish your tea!
Designing a morning schedule that works for you definitely requires a fair amount of intentionality. You’re certainly not going to accomplish your routine if you sleep in, or spend twice as long on something as you should. Most of us get started at work by 9 AM, meaning you’ll need to be strategic about creating small windows of time. Create a schedule for your routine, and stick to it!
Are you one of those people that says, “I’m just getting back in my bed, so why make it?”
Don’t be.
Why? Because making your bed in the morning not only marks you as a bonafide adult, but it establishes an immediate mindset of accomplishing tasks. Making your bed is the first step towards establishing order and efficiency. And that’s a mindset you want to carry with you the whole day (If you won’t listen to us, then listen to this Navy Seal Admiral who said, “If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.”)
Ultimately, creating a morning routine isn’t about following someone else’s prescriptive suggestions; it’s about designing a routine that works for your own preferences and rhythms. If you work late into the night as a freelancer, then don’t try to get up at 5 AM. And if you can’t stand journaling, then skip that routine and make a few notes on your phone instead.
The important thing?
Developing a process that helps set you up for success – so that you can slay your day, get sh*t done, and do it all over again the next day.
(Remember that it’s easier done with a cup of Rare Brew – to check out our full menu of amazing, artisanally-crafted loose leaf teas, click here).
Originally produced in China – but now produced all over the world – black tea is made from camellia sinensis leaves that are highly oxidized. We won’t bore you with the specifics of the chemical process of oxidation – but we will let you know why you might want to choose black tea over all the others.
Black tea typically contains 60-90 milligrams of caffeine per cup, compared to 95 milligrams of caffeine in coffee. So, while it’s not quite as “buzzy” as coffee, it will still help you get that morning (or afternoon) jolt.
Black tea contains polyphenols, which are a type of antioxidant. And, as you might already know, antioxidants help to fight free radicals and decrease cell damage – potentially lowering your risk for chronic disease and cancer. We’re not going to tell you that drinking black tea will prevent cancer...but it certainly could help make you healthier.
Black tea has a stronger flavor than most other teas, and as a result, tastes great with something milky and something sweet. Not down for cream and sugar? Almond milk and agave go well with most black teas, or oat milk and honey. Just remember to steep the tea long enough (3-5 minutes) to get the full impact.
Like black tea, green tea originated in China, but is now produced all over the world – including Japan, India, New Zealand, even South Carolina. Green tea is also oxidized like black tea – but a little less-so. The result? Milder levels of caffeine (30-50 mg per cup), and a lighter, grassier finish. Here’s what else you should know about green tea:
If you’re looking to shed a few pounds, drinking green tea may help you to do so. How so? The combination of caffeine and a compound called catechin in green tea may help your body to break down excess fat and use up energy. Caffeine may also help to suppress your appetite. Paired with a healthy diet and a solid exercise routine, and you may slim down.
These days, we could all use a little anxiety reduction. Green tea is high in L-theanine, an amino acid that’s been thought to reduce anxiety by increasing levels of GABA and other calming brain chemicals. Calming brain chemicals? Sign us up.
Green tea’s got a fresh, clean finish that tastes great as is (although sweetened matcha is pretty phenomenal). We all know green tea as pairing well with Asian foods, but an iced green tea also goes great with salad, fruit, and other light fare.
If you’re looking for a robust brew, white tea is not your best bet. If, however, you’re wanting something light and refreshing you might consider this minimally processed, oxidized variety of tea – made from the same leaf as black and green, but with a distinctly different flair. Here’s what to know about white tea:
Don’t be deceived: despite it’s “lightness,” white tea still contains caffeine, although typically less (30-55 mg per cup) than black or green. Just don’t drink a cup before bedtime, okay?
Just like black and green tea, white tea is full of antioxidants – which may help reduce the risk of inflammation, cancer, premature aging, and more.
White tea is a bit less bitter than its darker-colored counterparts, with undertones that have been described as honey, melon, peach, apricot, vanilla, and more (yum).
Unlike black, green, and white teas – which are made from the camellia sinensis plant – herbal tea is instead brewed from various mixes of herbs, spices, fruit, and even bark. Herbal tea may sometimes get a bad rap for being boring, but trust us, it’s anything but bland. Here’s what you should know about herbal:
If you’re looking for a buzz, herbal is not your best bet. But if you’re looking for something you can sip on all day without worrying about getting jittery – go herbal.
Just like its caffeinated counterparts, herbal tea has plenty of health benefits – generated from superfood ingredients like reishi mushroom, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, and more. If you’re looking for a specific outcome – like a boost to your immune system, for example – you can choose an herbal tea accordingly (we recommend anything with ginger, turmeric, or echinacea for added immunity).
Herbal tea is anything but boring. Brewed with the bold, vibrant flavors of fruit and spices, you might even find a caffeine-free alternative that’s as exciting as your vanilla latte...and much healthier.
Finally, we’ve got some specific recs for tea from Rare Brew – high-quality, premium teas with amazing flavor. This is no comprehensive list...but a few of our favorite brews we think you’ll love.
We recommend raspberry pomegranate white tea, or blueberry acai mojito herbal tea (yep, tastes like a mojito). Our favorite way to drink them? Iced.
We recommend matcha mind control – a brew with oolong, pu’erh, coconut, chocolate and more – that’s crafted to reduce brain fog.
Try dark chocolate cherry. Black tea, real chocolate, cherry. Enough said.
Don’t see anything that you’re super stoked on? Check out the rest of our teas here.
And, for more info about Rare Brew – why we got started, what we’re all about, and why we love tea so freaking so much – click here.
As you know, we kind of geek out over tea here at Rare Brew and have decided this lack of knowledge is absolutely unacceptable. So, here are 13 ridiculously surprising facts about tea worth knowing before you dive into your next cup…
Back in 1904, American’s took their first sip of “iced tea” at the World's Fair in St. Louis. The vendor selling the tea had originally planned on giving away free samples of hot tea (the way tea was widely enjoyed at the time), but when a massive heatwave rocked the city, he decided to do something absolutely crazy. He added a bit of ice to the mix and created… iced tea.
It ended up being the “talk of the fair” and, as you probably know, ultimately led to a cultural disruption in tea drinking. Today, iced tea is about as American as it gets.
Do you disagree? Try asking for hot tea at the next cookout you go to… we imagine folks will probably look at you like you’re crazy.
While tea might play second fiddle to coffee here in the United States, it’s certainly not by much. Every single day, 159 million Americans drink tea. That’s nearly half of the United States population. Starbucks purchasing Teavana back in 2012 for $620 million just made a lot more sense...
While this might not seem all that wonky to those familiar with the Bulletproof coffee craze sweeping across the United States at the moment, tea drinkers in the Himalayas will actually add Yak butter to their black tea because the salt in the butter helps them stay nice and hydrated at higher elevations. And, probably, because it doesn’t taste too shabby either. Maybe you should try it with one of our flavors?
Shhh… we know what you’re thinking. Doesn’t tea dehydrate you? Take a peek at our next point for the answer to that question.
One of the biggest complaints against caffeinated beverages like tea and coffee is that it causes dehydration. However, experts have been saying lately that when consumed in reasonable quantities (not Dan in accounting chugging two pots of coffee like some sort of hipster frat star), caffeinated beverages can be as hydrating as water. This changes things... it gives you permission to drink a hell of a lot more tea.
There is a very good chance your eyes glazed over when your teacher started talking about the Boston Tea Party. However, now that you’re an adult, there are some pretty interesting facts nestled in this historical event that are worth knowing.
For the kids who absolutely despised everything about history class, here’s a quick recap on the Boston Tea Party…
Back in 1773, to protest the increased tax on tea, a bunch of Americans got together one evening and threw 342 chests of King George’s tea overboard.
It is widely believed that these male protestors dressed up as Native American’s to conceal their identity. But, in reality, a good portion of the protestors did some cross-dressing on this fateful evening… dressing up as women.
As you probably know, folks put quite a bit of time and consideration into pairing wines with food. And, it makes sense. If you’ve ever cut into a ribeye then took a nice swig of a Cabernet Sauvignon, you know the right food with the right wine will make you go weak in the knees.
Well, believe it or not, some of the more passionate tea drinkers claim the same can be done with food and tea. And, who are we to say they’re wrong?
One of the most widely prized and sought after teas in the world is Darjeeling. Since it grows only on a 70 square mile plot of land at the base of the Himalayas in West Bengal, India... it’s considered to be the “champagne of teas”... what a name.
For our readers suffering from smelly feet, we’ve got a helpful tip for you… if you place a couple of tea bags in your sneakers, they will actually absorb the smell of your shoes and leave you with sweet-smelling feet.
This is a common hack that folks will use in their refrigerators to keep them smelling… well… not like month-old Chinese take-out and leftover pizza.
However, the same reason you might put a couple of bags of tea in your running shoes is why you should never store your tea near things that produce strong odors like coffee, garlic, onions, your running shoes, etc.
The tea will not only absorb some of these odors, but it will lose some of its more enticing aromas resulting in a pretty terrible sipping experience.
If you want your oolong tasting like oolong, keep it out of the vegetable drawer.
While green tea and black tea obviously look nothing alike, they actually come from the same plant. It’s called Camellia sinensis. We know, we know. It sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie. Anyway, what causes the stark difference in flavor between green tea and black tea is the oxidation.
The same thing that makes your bananas turn brown causes your tea to be black. Green tea is less oxidized than black tea giving it a stronger more earthy, leafy flavor.
In the late 17th century, tea was hard to come by in Europe and because of this, quite valuable. So, tea drinkers would keep their precious teas in something called a “tea chest” or “tea caddy”, a small box that could be locked with a key. Odd? Certainly. Though, we know a few very loyal customers over at Rare Brew that would probably use a Tea Caddy today if they could get their hands on one.
Around this same time in London, tea was so expensive that people would often mix it with things like sawdust, twigs and sheep shit.
Not unlike cocaine being “cut” with other substances, tea would be cut with other materials so it could go a lot further. How’s that for ruining a good tea party, huh? Sipping a cup of tea and noticing the faint funky taste of sheep poo. We’ll pass.
We obviously can’t make any claims here. However, tea is often associated with good health. Tea is said to help promote weight loss, reduce your chances of having a stroke, protect your bones, prevent cavities, boost the immune system, battle cancer and soothe the digestive system. Like we said, we aren’t making any claims here and we’d ask you to do your own research before drinking tea for any of the above purposes. However, we found this to be pretty interesting.
When most people think tea, they think of the UK. But contrary to common belief, it’s not our neighbors across the pond that are sucking down all the world’s supply of tea. Nope. It’s the Turks. On average, they consume 7 pounds of tea per person every single year.
If this got you in the mood for a cup of tea, we’ve got good news (great news, actually)… we just so happen to sell tea. At Rare Brew, we’re a team of tea connoisseurs bringing specialty tea to the masses with flavors that’ll dazzle your taste buds…
You can learn more about us here or peruse our flavors here. We’d recommend kicking things off with our Blueberry Acai Mojito.
-- By The Rare Brew Team.
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