The Process

So you may have already read our previous blog on how we select our teas. Now, we will take you on the rest of the tour to learn more about the finishing process. So hold on to your seats here we give you rest of the tour..

After we find we our new teas, we move forward with the labels. Here we think about names. The name, we feel should reflect the tea and its characteristics. Sometimes the naming of a tea takes constant contemplation for a long time. Yet other times the name just pops out, such as with our Up North!. After Chris had tasted this tea and said he agreed we had to sell it, he said, “It's so Up North!” That's how Up North! Got its name. Of course there are still some teas where you just don't mess with name, such as English Breakfast or Earl Grey. In many ways naming a tea is like naming a child. You want to make sure the name is a perfect fit.

Then it's off to visit our graphic artist. He does a fantastic job! We sit down with him and give him the information for the new labels. Everything that must be adjusted is changed, such as water temperature, steeping time, name, description, list of ingredients and sometimes the outlying color is changed too.

Once we approve all changes and updates, the labels are sent to the label makers, who in turn forward proofs for us to see. After we have given the okay the labels are printed and then sent to Tozy Tea. 

Of course, then there are all of the updates that are made to the website, too. Some decisions are easy. If a new tea is a green tea, it goes under the green tea banner. Other items, such as the new teapot that we will be selling involves more thought, product placement.

As you can see, the job of introducing new teas and new items is quite a process, but you know, we love it!

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How We Select Our Teas

In just a few weeks we will launch our newest teas. For us, it is an extremely exciting process and one that we take very seriously, too. But what goes into this process and how is it done?

The first step, we listen to our customers. We want to know what kind of teas you want us to carry. If people ask for a certain tea, we will look into it. We also keep a running tally of teas that people are looking for. For example, one weekend last November, over 50 people asked is we carried a specific tea, We didn't have it, but looked into it right away. Unfortunately, this particular tea contained large pieces of other ingredients that were too large to be put into the pyramid sachets. That being said, we still have not given up, as we may possibly sell it as a loose leaf in the future.

The second step is quality. Our tea must be premium luxury tea. It must taste, smell, and look fantastic. If the tea doesn't pass the quality tests, we won't sell it, period.

Another step is figuring out what teas people will like, before they have ever heard of it or even tried it. This gets complicated, as everyone has different tastes. For example, some people like unflavored teas, whereas others prefer flavored,whereas still others are looking for an infusion, containing no tea leaves whatsoever.

Then there are the combinations for different blends, too. There are some blends out there where you know they will taste great and still others where you might say, “Really, this is supposed to taste good?” Then after you taste it, you find out it is fantastic. An example of this would be our Brahms Lullaby infusion. When you first read the ingredients and see things like oat straw, hops, passion flower, mixed with other ingredients and you get that thought of, “Really?!?”. Even with the interesting combination of ingredients Brahms Lullaby tastes really, really fantastic.

So you can see that that there is a lot of thought that is put into selecting teas.  We want you to have the very best teas and  tea experiences possible.   So the next time you have your cup of tea, remember that that cup of tea was designed for your pure enjoyment.  

If you have any suggestions as to teas you would like for us to carry, please contact us.  We will look into your suggestions.

Cheers!

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Iced Tea with Premium Teas

Christmas Star in Summer

We had a customer in St. Louis, MO ask us about which of our teas make a good iced tea.  Any of our teas can make good iced tea, but we have our personal favorites.

The best thing about using really good tea for iced tea is that you don't have to load up on sugar.  Because a lot of "grocery store" teas are low grade, you need a lot of sugar to make it taste good.  With good tea, you can rely on the taste of the tea to provide good flavor.

Our favorites for iced are Up North! for a black tea, Moroccan Mint for a green tea, and perhaps the best, Northland Blueberry for a caffeine-free alternative.

To make iced tea, all you have to do is brew the tea as usual, add sweetener as desired, and then let it cool.  You can either pour the tea over ice or put it in the refrigerator for a while.

So there you go, a healthy alternative to overly sweet drinks.  And guess what?  It'll taste better too.

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