Friday Knows Tea

Here in Seattle, we just hit full-on summer. June-uary is over and we are facing days hovering around 80°F for the next few months. Seattlites are renowned whiners when it comes to weather over 70° (Don't make that face, Lauren. You know it's true.), so we've got you covered with some fantastic summer bevvie ideas. #1: Shaken Iced Tea Really want to elevate your iced tea game? It's as simple as playing Cocktail and shaking that sucker up. Brew a strong pot of your favorite white, green or black tea (or tisane, if caffeine isn't your game) and throw a hefty pour into a cocktail shaker with a handful of those yummy berries you scored at the farmer's market and a handful of ice. Shake it up for a solid 30 seconds, then pour into your favorite iced tea glass. A whole new level to the simple classic iced tea. #2: Tea-Infused Sangria My personal favorite part of hot weather season: an excuse to drink sangria! Next time you make a batch at home, try infusing your...

It's that time of year, friends! All the coffee shops here in Seattle are bragging about their cold brews again, and we refuse to sit out on the fun. Did you know you can cold brew your tea for the same smooth, delicious, lightly sweet results that have people obsessing over their summer coffees? Totally true and totally easy. Feel free to download this infographic! Cold brewing is fab. Just throw 2-3 tablespoons of loose leaf (or a few teabags) and cool water into a pitcher/teapot/fancy carafe/whatever, and put it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, strain the liquid off the spent leaves (or just remove your teabags) and enjoy your tea. There's a super cool trend circulating the tea industry the last year or two that takes cold brewing to a whole new level. Have you heard of ice steeping? This is my new obsession for Japanese green teas in particular. Sencha, Genmaicha, even the delicate and beautiful Gyokuro can turn on you and develop bitter edges in a snap if y...