Friday Knows Tea

Hello, friends! For the past several months I have been secretly (Well, not so secretly. I'm terrible at keeping my own secrets.) working on a huge project. Very happy to announce the great news that we have split-branded! This sub-brand means moving our medicinal teas to a new line: New Apothecary. This will serve to focus our main line (Friday Afternoon) on our unusual single origin and fandom blends, while allowing me to pursue a personal and abiding passion: developing a specialized collection of high-end, ethically-sourced medicinal teas. New Apothecary will be available on its own website , which will feature both this new collection and an herbal medicine blog. I hope you enjoy our new collection as much as I've enjoyed creating it! Logo designed by Erika Rae Heins Health and Happiness, Friday

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...

We love our caffeine. In the US alone, we consume upward of 970 tons of caffeine annually. Caffeine is just a fact in our day-to-day. Sodas, coffee, tea, even caffeinated soap is now a thing. Ok, so we love the stuff. But what exactly is it? Caffeine Molecule In layman's terms, caffeine is a psychoactive drug, classified as a stimulant which effects the central nervous system. When ingested, it reduces fatigue and boosts mental acuity. Caffeine delays muscle exhaustion and increases metabolic rate. Sounds great, yeah? Let's not forget the other side of this. You know the caffeine crash? The headache, crankiness and exhaustion? That's withdrawal. It's the body catching up with being tired and sore all at once. Unpleasant. Caffeine is also super addictive and it doesn't take long to build up a tolerance. Make a daily habit of three cups of coffee and you'll find that after a while you're dragging and want a fourth. We've discussed the side effects o...

On today's episode of Behind the Blend, I'm going to take you through the synesthetic taste experience of one of our prettiest blends: Bioluminescence. Those of you that are familiar with my blending process already know, but for the folks just joining us, let me tell you a little bit about my work. I have a rare neurological oddity known as Lexical-Gustatory Synesthesia. Now, synesthesia itself is actually relatively common. The brain cross-wires sensory input and the results cause folks to see music as colors, experience sound as tactile sensation (I have this one too. Sometimes fun, sometimes not so much), associate personalities with colors/words/sounds or, like me, literally taste language and concepts as complex flavor profiles. For me, thinking about a character, a personality or a word is no different from eating a tasty (or nasty) snack. So let me introduce you to one of my favorites: Bioluminescence! My friend Jill commissioned two blends from me for a writer'...

Medicinal Herb Exploration Herbal remedies are categorized by application. Here are a few of the most common categories and some examples of herbs that fit them! Anti-Inflammatory This group is comprised of plants that release soothing compounds into the body to reduce inflammation. Examples include circumen (found in turmeric), zingerone (ginger), flavonoids (tea, chili peppers), cinnamaldehyde (cinnamon), eugenol (clove) and so on. While some compounds reduce inflammation by breaking down free radicals (which cause tiny-scale inflammation in the body that can accumulate to a big problem), others inhibit enzymes that cause inflammatory response in the body. More examples of anti-inflammatory plants are peppercorn, sage, rosemary, and spirulina. Expectorant Expectorants loosen congestion and cause all that gnarly mucus to work its way out of the body. We most frequently see expectorant properties in roots and resins, though many seeds also help with congest...

Today's guest post comes to us from Ben, who we hope will share more of his fabulous recipes in future! -Friday I’m a bit of a tea obsessive. What started as an (unhealthy) addiction to coffee, has now seen me change lanes to tea. And with this change, I’ve always tried to get creative with my tea use. From  putting together therapeutic cups of turmeric tea , to using tea bags as a way to battle my shoe odors,  I’ve found a plethora of ways to adapt it for everyday use. Enter these chamomile tea and lemon shortbread biscuits. Using tea for baking isn’t always the first thing that comes to mind when I think of interesting ways to  incorporate it, but these shortbread biscuits are too good not to try. Chamomile is the perfect ingredient for these shortbread biscuits. Its delicate flavors and relaxing  properties match beautifully with the lemon zest, bringing together a subtle taste to an already  comforting food in the form of shortb...

Espresso, matcha, yerba mate, hot cocoa...even some soaps and lotions contain caffeine! We encounter the stuff every day, and as a society, we love it. But how much caffeine is too much? For starters, why do we even need to moderate caffeine? What's the big deal? Caffeine is a highly addictive substance, like sugar or cocaine, according to studies by many institutions. It doesn't take a lot to develop a dependence. How many folks do you know who "can't function" without their morning cup of coffee? The science behind the hook is simple. Caffeine can disguise itself as adenosine, the molecule in our bodies that makes us feel tires, and take its place. This not only delays our feeling of tiredness, but also spikes our adrenaline and dopamine production, making us feel rad and happy and ready for action. When the caffeine wears off, our exhaustion catches up with us hard . We get cranky, tired, sore and headachey. Know what the easiest fix for this bad feeling...