Fancy Teas, Coffees and Beverages

Discussion in 'General Chatter' started by Aviari, Aug 29, 2015.

  1. jacktrash

    jacktrash spherical sockbox

    @littlewhitemouse matcha latte is my go-to brain-jumpstart-while-writing beverage these days instead of coffee. you don't need to mess around with steaming the milk, that's coffeeshop stuff. after whisking the matcha powder with a little hot water, you can either fill the cup with milk and nuke it til it's hot, or fill it most of the way with hot water and then the rest of the way with half and half. like a quarter cup of half and half to a large mug of matcha made with just hot water, it tastes about the same as if you made it with milk.
     
    • Like x 2
  2. blue

    blue hightown funk you up

    I got my thai tea mix, and I tried to make it, but it was.. weird? I need more practice, 'cuz I think I steeped the tea too much, and holy shit do you need an ABSURD amount of sugar to match the restaurant kind.
     
  3. leitstern

    leitstern 6756 Shatter Every Sword Break Down Every Door

    @jacktrash I was hoping to find out how to make lattes with the matcha, so that's on the list, believe me. I've had enough wonderful ones at tea stores so I am pumped to try myself. It occurs to me that the only milk I have in this household is almond milk, though. I may have to get some for this purpose
     
    • Like x 1
  4. jacktrash

    jacktrash spherical sockbox

    i think you could do the three-quarters-milk-and-nuke-it thing with almond milk. that sounds pretty tasty.
     
  5. chaoticArbiter

    chaoticArbiter an actual shiny eevee (destroyer of worlds)

    THIS IS IT.
    THIS IS THE THREAD.
    THIS IS THE THREAD THAT INTRODUCED ME TO DAVID'S TEA.
    I NO LONGER HAVE MONEY BECAUSE I'VE SPENT IT ALL ON TEA LIKE A TERRIBLE IMPULSIVE PERSON
    *cries*
     
    • Like x 7
  6. jacktrash

    jacktrash spherical sockbox

    but that means you have tea, so. life can't be all bad if you have tea.
     
    • Like x 5
  7. chaoticArbiter

    chaoticArbiter an actual shiny eevee (destroyer of worlds)

    this is true. at least I have tea.
    some of which I am currently drinking :D it finally showed up today and I was like "welp time to drink half of it"
     
    • Like x 4
  8. leitstern

    leitstern 6756 Shatter Every Sword Break Down Every Door

    I've seen that store at the mall but I'm so used to going to Tea Source that I never stop in. I take it David's is good and that I should take a look at their blends?
     
  9. chaoticArbiter

    chaoticArbiter an actual shiny eevee (destroyer of worlds)

    yes
    yes you should
    I greatly enjoy their teas, or at least I greatly enjoy what I've had so far, which was a peppermint tea and a chocolate orange tea
    and both were delicious and wonderful
    I am in love already
    it is a problem
     
    • Like x 2
  10. Derpyteacakes

    Derpyteacakes Thread Hermit

    Ok, so I read the entire thread (I'm a lurker) and this seems to be every shop/brand that was recommended! Thought it was cool to see the all together! (I may have missed some)



    Coffee:
    http://www.deathwishcoffee.com/
    http://www.juanvaldezcafe.com/es/colombia

    Tea:
    https://us-en.kusmitea.com/
    https://usa.lupicia.com/
    http://www.republicoftea.com/
    http://www.svtea.com/
    http://www.teavana.com/us/en/home
    http://www.imperialtea.com/
    http://www.lifeinteacup.com/
    https://www.teapigs.com/
    http://www.teashop.com.br/en/
    http://www.adagio.com/
    https://www.davidstea.com/ (Seems to be the favorite XD)
    http://www.t2tea.com/
    http://teaclub.com.pl/
    http://markethallfoods.com/sweet-pa...ICj49szpM1NHlliRyihEN6_2pWtk9FEtUkBoCufLw_wcB

    I'd also like to recommend some of my own!

    https://www.harney.com/ is the best bagged stuff I've tried. Their “Paris” is the only black tea I can binge drink. It's so good!

    And I was really surprised the no one had mentioned https://www.teasource.com/ yet! They were voted best tea business in america this year I think. They're family owned and are based in Minnesota (3 locations) I go there all the time!

    I always have their Genmaicha, Cherry blossom green, Houjicha, and Chai on hand! And the Lavenderberry is my bedtime wind down tea! :D

    K, i'm done spaz geeking now sorry for the long post
     
    Last edited: Feb 8, 2016
    • Like x 8
  11. Derpyteacakes

    Derpyteacakes Thread Hermit

    Thought this was neat.
     

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  12. paladinkit

    paladinkit brave little paladin

    While the tea I'm serving this evening isn't anything special in and of itself (grocery store brand spiced chai), I felt like going through the steps of breaking out the nice china tea service we got as a wedding gift. (the tea cozy and towel are also handknits done by myself and @asynch , respectively - I think I just needed to feel very home-y this evening). This seemed like the right thread to share pictures?

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    • Like x 3
  13. Saro

    Saro Where is wizard hut

    Maybe I can justify buying something from David's Tea because my first committee meeting is coming up (aaaajhhhhhhbh) and then it'll be my birthday..... I love tea so much and those teas sound so good........
     
  14. leitstern

    leitstern 6756 Shatter Every Sword Break Down Every Door

    After hearing about it on this thread so much, I decided to actually step into a David's Tea and check a few things out. They looked good, and I don't at this point have any quibbles about quality, but I have to be the bearer of bad news: y'all are getting ripped off. Flavored teas are not that expensive to make. The prices are similar to Teavana's, which is how I know you're getting ripped off, because I grew up with a Teavana and a TeaSource and I know you can get any tea you can get at Teavana, except better and cheaper, at a TeaSource.

    Teasource has a HUGE collection. They import newly oxidized batched of black and green tea from specific farms as they're finished, often in limited qualities. Like so, and I can tell you that one's good. That's not the best example re: TeaSource's prices, but just look at both herbal tea pages if you don't believe me. Y'all, that's absurdly inflated prices.

    The downside, obviously, is that TeaSource is a pretty local store. I think there are three stores in Minnesota and that's it. I wouldn't be surprised if you would STILL spend less buying TeaSource online, with shipping, than walking into a David's Tea, but I haven't done the math.

    Let me give recommendations. Witch's Broom is a delicious, pale pu-erh that tastes earthy and herbal in a way I've never been able to describe. Iron goddess is one of my favorite oolongs, and on the cheap. I won't tell you about my favorite because it's NOT on the cheap. Though I love a silver needle tea, the white peony is an amazing, simple white. Here's a short list of greens, flavored and unflavored, which have made me want to cry with happiness: Cherry Blossom Green, Frosted Citrus, Green Tea w Lemon, Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearls, their basic Sencha, and Sweet Ginger Green. Moon over Madagascar and Monk's Blend are both classic flavored blacks, and PLEASE check out Moon over Madagascar. Lemon sunset is rooibos and also a favorite.

    These are my CHEAP favorites, barring Witch's Broom, which I couldn't resist, as it's my favorite (along with Cherry Blossom Green.) If you want expensive favorites, hmu, but I don't want to ruin everyone's lives. (EDIT: And I included the phoenix pearls, I forgot I included the phoenix pearls. The phoenix pearls are a high-quality expensive green to die for.)

    If you've been poking around the site for a while, you've probably noticed that some teas cost way, way more than others. That's because TEASOURCE PRICES BY QUALITY AND HOW EXPENSIVE IT WAS TO ACTUALLY GAIN THE TEA, not how hip their flavored mix is. See the price on the Lemon Sunset? That's as much as you should be willing to spend on flavored herbals with little to no tea in them, and that one HAS tea in it. And by the way, default prices on TeaSource's site are for four ounces of actual tea, which is a good, full bag. I cannot tell you how much tea you get for David's Tea prices, because their website is deliberately obtuse about it. 'Makes' 16 ounces of tea. My guess is two ounces of actual tea leaves, maybe four.

    Tea is not that expensive in the modern world. Perhaps it should be, because the industry stinks of exploited human labor. But it isn't, and a lot of specialty tea stores over price because people don't know where to look or what is actually in the tea. Looking at you, DAVID.
     
    Last edited: Jul 18, 2016
    • Like x 5
  15. emythos

    emythos Lipstick Hoarding Dragon

    my boyfriend lives near to a local dunkin donuts equivalent and it has exceedingly good chai tea.
    and it's TWO HOURS AWAY FROM ME
     
    • Like x 1
  16. chaoticArbiter

    chaoticArbiter an actual shiny eevee (destroyer of worlds)

    I will probably still buy from Teavana or David's Teas on occasion, because they've got certain teas I'm hooked on. but that said, thank you for this recommendation, they look to have some really good teas that I can ACTUALLY AFFORD.
     
    • Like x 1
  17. Everett

    Everett local rats so small, so tiny

    there's this tea store in my parent's town run by this lady and my mom sent me a huge amount of Monks blend. i tried the davids tea version (albeit as an iced latte, uh) and it was different :0 but now i have the Monk Tea Oh Goodness Dang

    also the last half of my bag of milk oolong, which isnt super intense but I like it with milk and honey

    also lemon(grass) mate, also good with milk and honey because I guess I'm a sucker for sweet beverages
     
    • Like x 2
  18. budgie

    budgie not actually a bird

    @littlewhitemouse Oh hey, they've got iron goddess. I haven't been able to find that anywhere. Too bad they don't seem to sell an equivalent to DT's Cold 911.
     
  19. Saro

    Saro Where is wizard hut

  20. paladinkit

    paladinkit brave little paladin

    More breaking out the tea service for a quiet Saturday afternoon of knitting and writing - this time, Murphy's Irish Breakfast tea.

    IMG_20160910_152055415.jpg
     
    • Like x 6
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