Ramblings and Recommendations

Hi everyone,

I know it’s been a little while since I last posted but with the unbearably hot weather we’ve been having in good old Blighty (which does not suit me at all), and with getting home from work too late to do anything much but slump in a chair and moan about the temperature in my (33 degrees) sitting room, I haven’t really been drinking much tea, and where I have it’s tended to be an Oolong (usually Milk Caramel as I’m jealously hoarding my minuscule remaining stock of the China Milky for a day when I really need it).

Yes, I know ice tea is a big trend at the moment, but to be honest, it’s not one I’ve ever really got into as I remember the pre-made stuff like Liptons Ice Tea and Snapple, which I tried and hated in the 1980s, and it was enough to put me off trying it again. Having said that, with all my favourite tea sellers now pushing their ice tea selections, and with warm weather no doubt set to continue for the foreseeable future, it is probably time for me to reevaluate ice tea.

The Bluebird Tea Co. seems to have a pretty good selection, but they also seem to think you need special equipment to make it (another reason I was put off by the ice tea renaissance) although I suspect you don't really. I couldn’t get my head around ‘cold brew’ as it takes far too much forward planning for me. If I want a drink I want it now, not in 2 hours (at the earliest) or tomorrow. They do have a decent selection of flavours, though, including the Strawberry Lemonade (that I still haven’t found my sample of — I have absolutely no idea where that’s disappeared to) and I see that the Blue Raspberry and another (hot) favourite of mine that I haven’t yet got round to reviewing (Gingersnap Green) are both suggested as being good for cold brew.

Adagio has pouches (like a teabag but bigger, apparently) which make a litre of tea at a time (they also suggest leaving it to refrigerate overnight although they do offer a faster solution too). T2 also has a fair selection, which seems to include their fruit tisanes (which is logical as I imagine they lend themselves very well to ice tea). However, what really made me reconsider (and gave me hope that I wouldn’t have to plan too far in advance or buy any special equipment was a blog from Kent & Sussex Tea & Coffee Co. explaining how to make their ice tea (of which they have also have a selection, but equally I think most of their extensive stock of fruit tisanes could pass muster).

I know for sure that the Forest Fruit tea I received a sample of with my last order is definitely okay to drink cold as I forgot it was there because I was so caught up with watching the Flaming Lips performing at Glastonbury (well worth checking out on iPlayer just for the sheer spectacle of Wayne Coyne riding onstage on a unicorn wearing inflatable rainbow wings!)      

Anyway, enough about music (although the Foo Fighters were majestic, Mark Lanegan has one of the best voices ever (I love him) and Stormzy and Run the Jewels kicked it out of the festival with their sets) and back to the tea. 

I certainly have several teas from all three brands that I could experiment with (cold, anyway, I’m still not sure about ice as that means me making some ice cubes) so maybe I’ll be reporting back in a week or two with recommendations. Perhaps you can tell me your favourite teas to have chilled or ice.

Finally, time to quickly mention a couple of sales that are currently taking place.

Kent & Sussex Tea & Coffee Co. seem to be doing one of their regular weekend specials. This weekend everything on their site is 12% off and you get a free sample of their Viennese Apple Ice Tea when you use the code SUMMER. This offer runs until midnight tonight.

T2 are also holding a sale which started online this weekend and moves into their shops on Tuesday. It seems that most of the sale items are related to equipment rather than the tea itself, although there are a few in there so it’s worth checking out in case something takes your fancy (and they do an interesting selection of teapots and matching cups).

I don’t know of any other tea emporia that are currently having a sale but if you do, please let me know so I can check them out.

So far, I’ve been a good girl and managed to avoid buying anything but the lure is definitely there, particularly from Kent & Sussex Tea & Coffee Co. where their Oolongs are singing their siren song. Will I be able to stay strong? I’m certainly trying as I already have a stack of untried teas to get through, but you know how much I love an Oolong, and all of these have amazing reviews so it’s going to be difficult