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What is tea, anyway?

You've tried it, you may even love it and drink it regularly...but what is tea?

Simply defined, tea is a brewed beverage made from the leaves of Camellia Sinensis plant, an evergreen shrub native to China and India.

But tea has too much history to be simple.

It’s been cultivated for at least 1500 years, and in that time has spread throughout the world. Hundreds of different cultures have taken their own approaches to picking, preserving, and serving it. For millions of people around the world, tea is a cultural touchstone, a daily devotion to relaxation and community. It has launched a million ships, encouraged global trade, and fueled revolutions both intellectual and political.

Tea can be dried, aged, fermented, powdered, baked, and smoked. It can be flavored with essences that run from fruit to fungus, and with herbs, spices, and the petals of flowers. Tea and its herbal cousins are considered healthful tonics and remedies the world over, in ancient agrarian villages and in modern medical laboratories.

At Two Leaves and a Bud, though, we like to keep it simple. We sample harvests from around the world to find the best tea and build our blends from the tips of these prized plants’ branches — just the tender two leaves and the bud that are richest in flavor — and take advantage of thousands of years of global experience to perfect what you’ll find in your cup.

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If you can't stand the heat ... make it iced!

Although we have plenty of fans who are happy to drink hot tea year-round, isn't it nice to know that you can also enjoy your favorite beverage iced? In fact, according to the Tea Association of the U.S.A., 75 - 80 percent of the tea consumed in this country is iced. Since iced tea is a great alternative to all the sugar bombs you could be drinking out there, like soda, we think you should celebrate summer by toasting with your favorite Two Leaves tea on ice.

We asked our Facebook fans to tell us which Two Leaves tea they love to make iced, and the winner was our Alpine Berry Herbal Blend. Jasmine Petal Green came in second place, and third place was a tie between Organic Assam and Organic Tropical Green (this blogger's preferred pick). We wouldn't stop you from making iced tea with any of our teas, and if you want a unique iced tea experience, try steeping different flavors together, like Organic Tamayokucha Green and Organic Peppermint!

As for how you brew a glass of iced tea, follow these simple steps:

Steep any of our teas in 6 oz of boiled water for 4 minutes or longer (depending on preference) in a heat resistant cup.

Add sugar or honey at this point if desired.

Fill the serving cup with ice.

Pour steeped tea over the ice.

Garnish with lemon, orange, lemon grass, mint or strawberry.

Want to make a full pitcher? Use one of our giant tea bags (yields a gallon), or five sachets for a half-gallon pitcher. Don't forget that when it comes to the water, a full boil is best for black and herbal teas, and only lightly bubbling for green and white teas — you don't want to overly "cook" those more delicate leaves.

And one more note: some of our teas, like our Assam, may cloud a bit once refrigerated. This doesn't affect the taste of the tea. It actually just speaks to the high-quality tannins in our tea.

What is your favorite Two Leaves tea to make iced?

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Tea: It's good for you!

Now, more than ever, we are all thinking about our health. Luckily for Two Leaves and a Bud tea drinkers, your perfect cup of tea isn’t just delicious, it’s also good for you!

Whether you’re sipping black, green or herbal tea, there are all sorts of health benefits to be aware of. Here’s a quick rundown:

Herbal Teas: Herbal teas (also known as tisanes) feature something great for wellness…herbs and spices! The benefits depend on the blend. For example, our Organic Invigorate is a blend of peppermint for concentration and blood pressure; lemon oil for mood health; lemongrass for digestion; and nettle for boosting immunity. Our Alpine Berry has vitamin C and antioxidants, and it includes hibiscus, which has anti-inflammatory properties and can lower blood pressure.

Green Tea: Many people are familiar with green teas like our Organic Matcha Mint and Organic Energize as a rich source of antioxidants. But green tea has also been found to be high in the amino acid L-Theanine, which can have a number of benefits like counteracting stress (which we could all benefit from right now!), improving memory, and helping to prevent strokes.

Black Tea: While not normally recognized for their healthful properties, black teas like our Organic Assam and our Organic Darjeeling feature a number of benefits. Those include high flavonoids for heart health; polyphenols, which are a source of antioxidants; and catechins and tannins, which can improve oral health.

Two Leaves and a Bud also features an entire collection of Wellness Teas, blended specifically for their benefits, and for your drinking pleasure, of course!

Happy sipping!

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Supporting our Seniors

You’ve probably come to expect a silly email from us on this particular day every year. However, circumstances being what they are, we didn’t really feel the time was right for "tricks". In our minds, the next best thing to laugher is a little warmth. So we will take this opportunity to share with you what Two Leaves and a Bud has been doing to help during this global health crisis.

“We thought carefully about how we could do our own little part in helping people during the coronavirus pandemic," said Richard Rosenfeld, our founder and CEO. "One group that has been particularly isolated are seniors, who are considered an at-risk population."

So we have spent the last week shipping tea to 25 nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and hospitals throughout the Western Slope of Colorado (where we live). So far, we have heard great appreciation from nursing home staff, who have remarked on what a hard time it has been.

“We hope that these shipments of tea can not only brighten nursing home residents' days, but perhaps most importantly, send a message that our hearts and thoughts are with them during this time," said Richard.

If you have other ideas on how we can support, never hesitate to contact us – we’re always listening! And thank you for all your support of our independent tea company.

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Fearless, complex, tasty: Organic Darjeeling Limited

Our CEO and Founder, Richard, loves Darjeeling tea, and it’s not a rare thing to see him creating his own blends of black teas in the office, searching for the perfect balance. It was only a matter of time until we discovered a Richard-original Darjeeling blend to share with you tea people. We’re calling it Organic Darjeeling Limited, and we can’t wait for you to taste it! 

This Richard-original was created with balance in mind. You’ll find both first and second flush tea leaves. The first flush, harvested mid-March on the tail end of a rainy season boasts of a light color,  a mild aroma, and delicate astringency. The second flush teas are plucked between May and June, after the earth has dried in the summer sun. Second flush Darjeeling teas are less astringent and have a rounded, full flavor, as well as slightly darker "cup color" (color of the steeped tea in the cup). 

Not only have we fearlessly mixed flushes, but we have also combined leaves from different tea gardens.  Darjeeling teas, even when they are plucked at the same time, vary in taste hillside to steep hillside, due to the differences in sun exposure. Organic Darjeeling Limited deftly balances these complexities, and the result is unique and tasty, if we do say so ourselves. 

Do us a favor when you brew yourself a cup of this organic limited blend: let us know what you think. What flavors do you detect? What characteristics stand out to you? We want to know!  To get started, here’s a blog post that breaks down the nuances of tea tasting. And don’t forget your tea!

Cheers!

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SWEET-N-SUMMERY NICE MATCHA-ADE

Nice Matcha Lemonade created by Barista Pro Shop

It’s still hot out there, folks. Between all the school supplies on display and the pumpkin advertising peeking out, it may seem like fall is creeping up on us. But the good old heat is there to remind us: it’s still summer time in the Northern Hemisphere. If you’re like us, you’ve used, and re-used, all of your summertime drink recipes by now. Don’t sweat (we like our puns); here’s a fresh one for you.

Strawberry Matcha Lemonade (16 oz)

- 1 heaping tbsp Nice Matcha - 4 oz hot (or at least warm) water - 8 oz strawberry lemonade (or regular lemonade is tasty too!) Our favorite lemonade is Santa Cruz Organic. - ice

1) Pour water and Nice Matcha in a shaker and whisk until clumps are gone. 2) Add lemonade and ice, and shake. 3) Pour (ice and all) into a glass, or strain over ice, leaving old ice in shaker. 4) Garnish with a strawberry (optional).

Cheers!

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New: "Prime" Tea Time!

Get your tea when and how you want it.

Tired of waiting in line at your local café? They don’t have the flavors you want? Too embarrassed to ask for your tea exactly how you want it? With the super powers of Amazon Prime and the skills of the tea geeks at Two Leaves and a Bud, your tea will be made to order and waiting in the Prime Locker nearest you at exactly the right time, down to the second. It’s Amazon Prime Tea Time!

“Coffee drinkers have been accustomed to personalization for decades now. But what about tea drinkers? What choices are offered to tea drinkers beyond “hot” or “iced”?!” says Two Leaves and a Bud marketing manager, Christy Garfield. “Imagine the looks you’d get if you asked your barista to remove the tea sachet from the cup after precisely 5 minutes of steeping – without squeezing the bag, and to slowly stir your tea until 1 tablespoon of honey is fully dissolved?”

That is why we’ve partnered with Amazon to get you the customization you desire, with no judgement, and exceptional attention to detail. When you first log on to our Prime Tea Time app, you’ll set up your preferences with a simple 100-question survey. Then you’ll be able to place your tea orders with one-click, or a kind request to Alexa. Unless, of course, you want something different every time, in which case you may spend more time entering your order than actually drinking tea, but it’s worth it for the customization.

Amazon’s advanced algorithms will analyze your preferences and order history to suggest tea types and preparations you will enjoy. But most importantly it aids in our ability to predict your next order, which allows us to get orders to you lightning fast – even a cup of Organic Chamomile at 2am to help you get back to sleep.

Want to pick up your tea every day on your way to work? We offer Subscribe and Save. It’s now easier than ever to get the tea you love, how you want it, when you want it with Two Leaves and a Bud and Amazon’s Prime Tea Time!

Okay, sound too good to be true? It is. *Happy April Fool’s Day! For following our joke this far, here’s a coupon for 20% off site-wide, good through Tuesday, 4/2/19, 11:59PM MTN time: Use code PrimeTea at checkout.

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Assam tea vs English Breakfast - why have both?

Here at Two Leaves and a Bud, customers have asked us for a traditional English Breakfast for years. We have always responded, “Our Assam is our English Breakfast.” Our Organic Assam tea has been one of our best-selling teas since the company was founded 15 years ago. So why, after all these years, have we finally added an Organic English Breakfast to our range of whole leaf tea sachets?

We created our Assam blend with large orthodox leaf tea that we felt tasted great and gave that wonderful Assam maltiness. But we have consumers who want a stronger tea. So we set out to create a tea that had the flavor characteristics our Assam but darker in the cup, with deeper body that would taste great with milk.

Assam is a whole leaf tea that is harvested from a single source: Assam, India. The soil is rich with nutrients that flow from the Tibetan Plains via the Brahmaputra River. The tea grown there is in intense heat and humidity, much like in a greenhouse, which gives Assam tea its bold, rich flavor black tea lovers crave. Read more about that tea in another blog post.

Our Organic English Breakfast is a blend of whole leaf black teas and is designed to be stronger and darker in the cup. Unlike pure Assam tea, English Breakfast is a blend of a few black teas from different regions of India, instead of just a single source. Also, our English Breakfast contains 3.2 grams of tea per sachet, as opposed to 3g in our Assam. Malty with a sweet edge, this is a flavorful every-day tea. It’s great with milk but smooth enough to serve without.

Our fearless leader, Richard, drinks Assam straight up but drinks our English Breakfast the way the English do: with a spot of milk.

So why offer both? Black tea is black tea, right? No way! That’s like asking why offer both Assam and the other famous tea named after a region in India — Darjeeling. While Assam, Darjeeling, and English Breakfast are all delicious black teas, they all have different nuances. Give all three a try and taste the difference!

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A New Year's Resolution: Switch to Drinking Green Tea

At Two Leaves and a Bud, we went and searched for some good reasons why you should switch from coffee to tea, as a New Year's Resolution.

A Strong Antioxidant

Researchers seeking an explanation for green tea's apparent health-giving qualities believe they have found it in the form of substances known as polyphenols, which are strong antioxidants that have the potential to quell disease-promoting molecules known as free radicals.

Furthermore, research suggests that the most potent weapon against disease that green tea contains is a compound known as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG has been found to have a number of cancer-protective actions in the body, including an ability to help in the deactivation of cancer-causing chemicals (carcinogens).

Many Benefits for Health

Green tea has been linked with a reduced risk of cancer in both men and women. In one study published in 2004, women consuming green tea every day were found to have a 47 percent reduced risk of breast cancer compared to those consuming none at all. In another study published the same year, researchers found that men taking green tea each day had about a quarter of the risk of prostate cancer compared to those who took no green tea. Other research has found that increased green tea consumption appears to protect against other forms of cancer too, including those of the stomach, colon, lung and skin.

The benefits of green tea seem to extend the circulatory system too. Research has found that individuals who consume green tea tend to have lower blood levels of cholesterol. Studies have also shown a decrease in blood pressure. These benefits go at least some way to explaining research which links green tea consumption with a reduced risk of stroke and heart disease.

Green tea has also been linked with a boost in metabolism. Some studies have shown that people can shed a few pounds by simply swapping coffee for green tea. A healthy diet and plenty of exercise is of course the best way to lose weight, but a little green tea may add to an overall lifestyle change.

Why Green?

All tea, including green, black and oolong come from the same plant. However, green tea, unlike the others is unoxidized so the active health giving ingredients remain unaltered. The other teas (from the Camellia sinensis plant), which go through an oxidation process, still contain some of the healthy properties, but appear to be more muted.

It should be noted that one can drink too much green tea. The majority of our liquid should be water, but a cup or two of green tea a day can offer some amazing healing benefits.

Learn more in: Dr. Perricon's 7 Secrets to Beauty, Health, and Longevity: The Miracle of Cellular Rejuvenation by Dr. Perricone

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Drink tea like the Irish! (In other words, drink lots of it.)

Go green or go home?

You have two choices if you're going to celebrate St. Patrick's Day today with what's in your favorite tea mug: choose a green tea, or drink tea like they traditionally do in Ireland. And these are not the same things!

While there are certainly people in Ireland drinking green tea today and all days, Ireland ranks No. 2 in the world for tea consumption (first place goes to tea drinkers in Turkey)*, and most of that tea is black. Traditionally, people in Irish prepare a very strong black tea, and serve it with milk and often sugar. Tea wasn't introduced in Ireland until the early 1800s when the upper classes began drinking it, but it was quickly embraced by all social classes.

*This info from Euromonitor International in 2014, calculated as tea imports divided by population. Particularly impressive when their data shows that would result in the Irish consuming 4.83 pounds of tea per person per year, and Turkey at 6.96 pounds per person, per year. Dang, Turkey! Leave some for the rest of us.

The three traditional tea times in Ireland include Elevenses at (surprise) around 11 a.m., afternoon tea at about 3 p.m., and High Tea, which is when many pots of strong tea are served with a variety of savory and sweet dishes.

The difference between Irish Breakfast Tea and English Breakfast Tea is slight, although most say that Irish Breakfast Tea has no set formula of tea blends and is generally more robust (because of how much they like to add milk) but both can be made from a mixture of tea from Assam, Ceylon and African black tea.

So anyway, if you're going to drink tea in honor of St. Patrick's Day, seems like the most traditional thing to do is brew a strong black tea, and definitely add milk. Then again, we found an article saying that matcha green tea was becoming the "new coffee" in Ireland last year. Notice how they didn't say it's the "new tea," because that would probably be blasphemy. Ah well -- at least it's green.

One other thing: If you're hankerin' for some green or white tea today, we've got a sale! (Today only.) Use promo code Blarney15 to take 15 percent off any green or white teas on our website.

Slàinte, whatever you're toasting with today! Happy St. Patrick's Day.

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Organic Darjeeling: A distinctive black tea

Darjeeling, India sits in the high foothills of the Himalayas. It gets cold enough there that tea stops growing in the Fall.

“Organic Darjeeling isn’t one of our best sellers,” says CEO Richard Rosenfeld. “It's not a tea many Americans are used to, when it comes to black tea.” However, if you haven’t tried our Organic Darjeeling, you’re missing out.

Sourced from the mountainous region of Darjeeling, India (elevation varying from 2,000 – 8,000 feet), Darjeeling black tea is also one of the more interesting teas to learn about.  The hilly terrain and cool mountain temperatures have an instant impact on the flavor of the tea itself.  The light, arid soil mixed with cool winds generates a subtle astringency to the tea that you won’t find in a robust Organic Assam tea from Assam, India.  Furthermore, the varied terrain from hillside to hillside creates differences in the amount of sunlight, wind, and soil quality for each tea “lot”.  That means that Darjeeling tea from one hillside can taste incredibly different from the tea on a neighboring slope.

  The First Flush

One can’t talk about Darjeeling tea without mentioning the term “first flush”.  As one of the most prized crops of tea throughout the world, first flush Darjeelings are known for their astringent, green flavors intermingled with the depth and robustness of black tea.  But what is first flush, exactly?

“The region of Darjeeling gets cold during the winter, and no tea grows anywhere,” Richard says. “Temperatures start to change, and the two leaves and bud of the tea plant open up, ‘flushing’ for the first time all season.”

After the first flush is plucked, there are occasional “bungee flushes” that then occur.  A smaller growth of two leaves and the bud that appear somewhere in between the first and second flush.  Bungee flushes are actually a lesser sought tea, lacking the complexity that Darjeeling is famed for.

Second flush Darjeeling tea, however, is certainly something to be prized as well.  Noticeably darker and more “black” than first flush Darjeeling, second flushes still offer classic Darjeeling flavor, but with less of a green flavor, and more of the depth commonly associated with great black tea.

  Two Leaves and a Bud’s Organic Darjeeling

So, what indeed makes two leaves and a bud’s Organic Darjeeling Black Tea so special? Says Richard:

“This is a lovely blend of first and second flush Darjeeling tea with light, but rich, body and floral overtones."

You’ll experience what our Organic Darjeeling tea is all about the moment you give it a steep. Your palate will instantly be met by notes of green tea. From there, you’ll experience a sharp (but pleasant) string of astringency, finished by the deep, robust notes of black tea.

Are you a Two Leaves and a Bud Darjeeling fan? If so, what do you like most about it?

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Hosting ain't easy. Say thanks with tea gifts!

This Complete Sachet Sampler clearly says, "Thanks for hosting. Here's an attractive box of tea sachets!"

True story of a host and hostess gift etiquette snafu:

Once upon a time, I hosted a party just because I wanted to dazzle my friends by preparing recipes I'd found for delicious hors d'oeuvres. I prepped, I cooked, I coerced my boyfriend into vacuuming the floor, and then I welcomed in a number of friends who came bearing six-packs of beer and bottles of wine. I was carrying a tray of goodies out from my kitchen when a friend pulled me aside. "Listen," he said quietly, "we brought a really nice bottle of wine for you, and want you to enjoy it — don't feel pressured to put it out for everyone, okay? It's our gift to you." I was touched that he and his girlfriend were thinking of me, said as much to him, and pushed the bottle to the side of all the other bottles crowding my kitchen counter. A couple of hours later, with plates of hors d'oeuvres turned into plates of crumbs and friends satisfied and happy, the party was winding down when the girlfriend of the thoughtful couple approached me with a bashful expression. "Look," she said, "the bottle of wine we brought was pretty pricey. Since no one opened it, would you mind if we took it back home with us?"

On the inside, I was laughing pretty hard, and on the outside, I was nothing if not completely nonchalant about this couple's lack of communication. I mean, I wasn't going to argue her on this one. "Yeah, of course. No big deal," I said, and she thanked me. To this day I'll always wonder how the conversation went when the boyfriend and girlfriend reconvened for the car ride back to their place, with one of them holding the nice bottle of wine that the other clearly thought was a hostess gift. Alas, I never found out.

So let's just review the etiquette of host and hostess gifts, shall we? In November and December when gatherings of friends and family are frequent, a little guidance on this topic never hurts. The etiquette gurus at EmilyPost.com put it pretty simply, "A gift for your host or hostess is a lovely way to thank them for their hospitality and is always appreciated. It doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive; simply consider the nature of the occasion and local custom when making your choice." Flowers are a popular choice, but always consider bringing them in a vase or even a simple mason jar so your host doesn't have to take a moment to arrange them. It's also my opinion that wrapping a gift for the host and placing it in his or her hands, even if it's just presenting a bottle of wine in a free metallic bag from the wine shop, is a nice touch, and indicates that it's a gift for the hosts, rather than one to be shared with all of the guests.

A gift of our adorable 4-tea Display Chest with four flavors of our Purpose-Filled Tea range says: "I care about your well being."

There are just so many things that make great gifts for hosts over the holidays — books, candles, olive oil, jam — but I have this feeling you know what I'm going to suggest, right? It's my duty as a tea blogger:

Tea. Give tea gifts! If you know the hosts like tea, you're golden. Either buy their favorite variety or introduce them to something new.

If you don't know if the host or hostess likes tea, you're still golden. Who doesn't like to have some attractive tea on hand to offer to guests? And hey, maybe they'll turn into a tea lover, and you'll be a hero.

The answer, my friends, is tea. From a simple box of tea sachets to attractive tea samplers... tea. Cheers, everyone!

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Organic Peppermint Tea: Grown in the USA

After Two Leaves and a Bud CEO and founder Richard Rosenfeld and his wife were smack in the middle of a big field of peppermint, growing knee-high, Richard shared, "Our shoes and clothes had a strong pepperminty smell for the next four days!"

You see, Richard was visiting the farm in Eastern Washington State that grows organic peppermint for our tea company. As Richard tells it, his mission for this company is to produce the world's best tea sachet. And visiting this grower of organic herbs is part of that mission.

"I want peppermint tea to be buttery, not too peppery, smooth as opposed to sharp, still slightly astringent with nice cup color," he says. "Of course I am extra pleased that we have found that in American-grown peppermint."

Close-up of peppermint leaves used to make our organic peppermint tea.

Although many of us are familiar with the rainy aspects of Washington in the western portion of the state like Seattle, the eastern side of the state is hot and dry — one of the driest climate zones in the country, but it's well-irrigated from the Grand Coulee Dam. Herbs and spices grow beautifully there in huge crop circles, and our particular peppermint provider grows about 250 acres of peppermint, or half of a crop circle. In fact, most of the peppermint they grow isn't for tea at all — it's harvested and used as an essential oil, an ingredient in things like shampoo and toothpaste.

The leaves used for our Organic Peppermint Tea are harvested by the growers at the exact peak moment of the oils maturing in the plant (as a summer crop, peppermint only has one harvest per year). They chop the whole plant and leave it lying in the field to dry. Once dried, they collect it and separate the leaves (used in our tea) from the stems (used for someone else's essential oil).

Two Leaves' Organic Peppermint tea in a compostable sachet.

As for being organic, that comes down to lots and lots of weeding by hand, Richard says. "It costs 10 times as much as a non-organic peppermint," he says. "They're removing one weed at a time, as opposed to spraying the field (with pesticide or herbicide) from a plane."

This tea has been one of our top-sellers since its inception. The praise we receive for this tea affirms what we already believe: this truly is the best peppermint tea.

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A Tribute to Our Heroes

The view from our office on July 5, 2018.

It’s been quite a month for us and our neighbors here in our favorite place in the Rocky Mountains: Basalt, Colorado.

In the early evening of July 3, 2018 a wildfire ignited on the outskirts of our town and grew rapidly into the mountains. Locally-based firefighting efforts were intense, and federal wildland fire crews arrived to assist, but winds shifted unexpectedly late on the 4th of July, and suddenly the fire threatened hundreds of homes and prompted mandatory evacuations for many neighborhoods, including those of several of our team members here at Two Leaves. Instead of gathering at fireworks displays (which, incidentally, were canceled due to strict fire restrictions during this very dry summer), our neighbors found themselves gathering in the parking lot of Whole Foods at 11 p.m., staring across the valley floor as flames crested a nearby ridge and tore down the hillside toward our homes and businesses. Ultimately three families lost their homes that night, and our community has rallied around them with assistance and support.

As of July 30, 2018, the Lake Christine fire had burned 12,588 acres and was 82 percent contained. The last of the evacuation orders were lifted, but helicopters continued to whirl overhead, refilling their tanks from reservoirs and lakes and heading back to the wilderness to extinguish flames. Our valley is hazy with smoke, and the mountains nearest our office are streaked with black burn marks, green where untouched vegetation remains, and red where a thick slurry of fire retardant was dropped.

It was all a reality check when it comes to our vulnerabilities living in the mountains during these dry conditions, and yet the overriding emotion we have is gratitude. The men and women who worked (and continue to work) to create a fire line in such steep, rocky and densely wooded conditions are not only our heroes, but have become an everyday inspiration as we see them returning from their shifts, their faces smeared with soot. Our community came together in large numbers to thank them as much as we could — we dare you to watch this video without welling up:

And yet, as a group of people who love to take action, we wondered what else we could do. The Lake Christine Fire Incident Command team pointed us toward the Wildland Firefighter Foundation (wffoundation.org), a non-profit organization that provides assistance like immediate financial and ongoing emotional support, advocacy, and recognition to fallen firefighters' families and to firefighters injured in the line of duty. “They’re ordinary people doing an extraordinary job, a community of committed individuals who work and train to protect our private and public lands," the foundation says in its literature.

Two Leaves and a Bud is supporting the Wildland Firefighter Foundation with a donation not only because of the fire burning in our backyard (there were 13 burning in the state of Colorado alone in July 2018), but because we've seen the toll fires like these have taken on other communities, and know there are plenty of "ordinary people" on the front lines, putting their safety at risk to protect the rest of us and the wilderness. Please share your own wildfire experience with us, and consider donating to wwfoundation.org.

Cheers to our heroes!

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Get frothing for DIY Tea Lattes

We may be tea geeks, but we’re not against adding milk to our tea now and then. Having recently discovered what our CEO called the “Mercedes of Tea Frothers”, we are now enthusiastically whipping up tea lattes. So we’re devoting this blog to sharing how you too can create cafe-grade lattes at home, without splurging on an espresso machine with a steamer.

One thing we’ve learned from binging on Netflix series about the top chefs of the world: presentation matters. Food tastes better when it looks beautiful. Tea lattes are the same.  It’s a known fact that the favorite mug makes tea taste better. In the same way, rich froth makes your tea lattes taste better. Plus, technically it’s not really a latte if it doesn’t have at least a little foam. (We’re looking at you, hundreds of online tea latte recipes without foam….)

So before you dive in, you’ll need good hand-held milk frother, like the above-mentioned Eparé Professional (“Mercedes”) Milk Frother. These last. The cheap ones do not. (Case in point: our former cheap office spinner that used to come to life like a zombie, spitting flecks of milk at the user while growling like a nest of angry bees.)

Here are some other supplies you’ll find helpful.

- A milk pitcher or measuring cup, or a deep mug can work nicely. - A way to heat your milk – either by stove top in a saucepan or by microwave in a safe container. - Good, high quality tea - duh. We don’t have to tell you. - Milk, of course. Whole, skim, half-and-half, soy, almond, oat (yeah it’s a thing), cashew - it’s your choice. Let it be said that the type of milk used will affect the type of foam formed. If you see a “Barista” version of your milk alternative, go with that. - Dishcloth or apron. This can get messy. Be ready for a bit of spray if your mug is too full, or not deep enough.

Now that you are all set up, let’s get started.

How to Froth Milk to Perfection at Home

Step 1: Heat milk in microwave-safe milk pitcher or measuring cup (or tall mug) for 60-90 seconds so it’s warm, not boiling.  Or heat on the stove in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally; then remove from heat once simmering and pour into pitcher or mug.

Step 2: Take your hand-held milk frother and submerge whisk just below the top of the milk, then press the power button.

Step 3: Move frother upwards so that the whisk is half in the milk and half in the air for a couple of seconds to aerate the milk, and then submerge whisk fully, about half way down, never touching the bottom.

Step 4: Slant the milk pitcher and the frother slightly, about 25 degrees.

Step 5: Move frother slightly off from center and move up and down a bit, but staying away from the bottom of mug and top of milk.

Step 6: Stop frothing when large bubbles start to disappear. The whole frothing business should take less than 30 seconds.

Step 7: Pour beautiful micro-foam and milk over brewed tea.

We recommend adding frothed milk to English Breakfast or Assam tea, Earl Grey, Chai, Matcha green tea, Organic Chamomile or Rooibos and sweetening to taste for a simple tea latte. You will need to adjust the amounts of tea vs. milk based on how big your mug is, and how frothy or not you want your latte. It may take a couple of tries to get to your perfect cuppa. A good place to start is ½ a mug of tea to ½ milk/froth.

Since you’re practically a pro barista now...here are some upgrades and fancier recipes you may want to try.

London Fog

- Steep 1 Two Leaves and a Bud Earl Grey Tea Sachet in ½ mug of boiled water for 5 minutes, then remove sachet. - Stir in cane sugar or simple syrup to taste. - In separate container, heat milk. - Add 1/4 tsp vanilla extract to milk and stir. - Froth milk like a pro and pour over fully steeped Earl Grey tea to fill mug.

Chai Walla Latte

- Steep 1 Paisley Label Chai Tea Bag for 5 minutes in ½ mug of boiled water, then remove teabag. - In separate container, heat milk. - Add 1 tsp of vanilla and 1 tbsp of maple syrup to milk and stir. - Froth milk like a pro and pour over fully steeped Chai tea to fill mug. - Sprinkle with a pinch of cinnamon.

Matcha Green Tea Latte

- Place 1 tbsp of Two Leaves and a Bud Nice Matcha green tea powder in the bottom of your mug. - In a separate container heat milk. - Add a splash of heated milk to matcha and use a whisk to stir the matcha into a starter paste so that all clumps are dissolved. - Add 1 tsp of agave to matcha starter and stir. (optional) - Froth the remainder of the milk and pour over matcha starter paste to fill mug. - Give it a quick stir and sprinkle a dusting of matcha powder on top.

Rooibos Vanilla Spice Latte

- Steep 1 Two Leaves and a Bud African Sunset Sachet in ½ mug of boiled water for 5 minutes, then remove sachet. - In separate container, heat milk + 1 tsp of coconut oil. - Add 1 tsp of honey and ¼ tsp vanilla extract and stir. - Froth the milk mixture to perfection and pour over fully brewed African Sunset tea to fill mug. - Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Chamomile Rose Latte

- Heat milk and 2 tbsp of crushed rose petals (Some info on harvesting rose petals here) - Remove from heat and allow rose petals to steep for 15 minutes. - Strain through a fine mesh sieve. - You may need to re-heat milk. - Steep 2 Two Leaves and a Bud Chamomile sachets in ½ mug of boiled water for 4 minutes, then remove sachets. - Froth milk and rose mixture and pour over Chamomile tea to fill mug. - Sprinkle a pinch of rose petals on top.

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Ten Nice Matcha Drinks to Try at Home

That time you bought matcha green tea and weren’t sure what to do with it, amiright? Not to worry, we’ve pulled together some of the tastiest drink recipes that can be made right from the comfort of your own kitchen. The possibilities are endless with Nice Matcha, really, but we had to stop somewhere, and 10 was a nice round number.

Ranging from cozy lattes to summery lemonades, from heathy antioxidant boosting smoothies to mouth-watering ice cream based desserts, we’ve got everyone’s taste buds covered. So let’s raise a glass to creatvi-tea and get mixin’.

1. Matcha Latté

Scoop 1 TBSP of Nice Matcha into a 12oz cup. Heat 12oz 2% milk by stovetop or in a microwave in a heat-safe mug. Pour a splash of hot milk into the powered matcha and whisk together to make a starter paste to prevent clumping. Use a handheld electric milk frother to in the remaining milk until there is a good amount of froth. Stir the milk into the matcha and top with froth.

Sweet Vegan Matcha Latté Variation: use hemp, cashew, soy or almond milk instead of regular milk. Add 2 tsp of agave nectar to taste.

2. Green Breve

Scoop 2 TBSP of Nice Matcha into a 12oz cup. Heat 12oz of half-and-half by stovetop or in a microwave in a heat-safe mug. Pour a splash of hot half-and-half into the powered matcha and whisk together to make a starter paste to prevent clumping. Stir the rest of the hot half-and-half into the matcha paste until smooth. Use a handheld electric milk frother to mix the matcha and half-and-half together until texture is velvety.

3. Iced Matcha Latté

Pour a splash of hot water into glass with 1 slightly rounded TBSP Nice Matcha and whisk together to make a starter paste to prevent clumping. Add 12 oz cold milk, whisk together to mix well, and top with ice.

4. Matcha Cocoa


Scoop 1 TBSP of Nice Matcha into a 12oz cup. Prepare a 12oz hot chocolate. Pour a splash of hot water into the powdered matcha and whisk together to make a starter paste to prevent clumping. Stir the hot chocolate into the matcha until fully combined. Top with whipped cream, and sprinkle a pinch of Nice Matcha on top.

5. Matcha Milkshake

Combine 1 cup vanilla ice cream + 1/2 cup milk + 1 TBSP Nice Matcha in a blender. Mix until smooth. Whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and sprinkles optional.

6. Matcha Frappé

Combine 2 TBSP Nice Matcha + ¼ cup heavy whipping cream + ¼ cup cold water + and 2 cups of ice in a blender. Mix until smooth, pour in to a glass and top with whipped cream.

7. Matcha Made in Heaven Smoothie


Combine 1 cup ice + 1 or 2 TBSP of Nice Matcha + almond milk + a hand-full of spinach + 1 banana + 1/2 cup pineapple + 1/2 avocado + fresh ginger to taste and blend until smooth.

8. Mango Matcha Smoothie

Combine 1 cup of ice + 1 or 2 TBSP Nice Matcha + 1 cup almond milk + 1 chopped mango or 1 cup of frozen mango + 1 frozen banana in a blender. Mix until smooth and top with a little umbrella for style.

9. Blueberry Matcha Smoothie

Combine 1 TBSP Nice Matcha + 1/2 avocado + 1 cup blueberries + juice of 1.5 fresh limes + a handful of spinach + 1 tsp honey + 1/2 cup cashews (soaked overnight) + 2 cups water in a blender. Mix until smooth and top with a pinch of chia seeds.

10. Matcha Lemonade

Combine 1 TBSP of Nice Matcha + 8oz of your favorite lemonade + a handful of ice in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously. Pour the matcha lemonade over fresh ice and enjoy!

How are you using Two Leaves and a Bud Nice Matcha? Let’s hear some original tea-people recipes in the comments. Best one wins a free bag of Nice Matcha!

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Three Reasons to Drink Matcha

Chances are you’ve seen a new super drink in your local café or grocery tea aisle. It’s green, it’s mean and it’s definitely lean. Gaining popularity and accolades for health-benefits in recent years, matcha tea has become the new coffee. What makes this grassy sip so super? Three reasons have more and more people reaching for matcha green tea.

REASON 1: ENERGY + TRANQUILITY = PHYSICAL AND MENTAL FITNESS

Because it has both caffeine and L-Theanine, matcha pumps you up without the jitters, and at the same time keeps you calm and focused. This drink does not come with the sudden but inevitable betrayal – the coffee crash. Rather, the energy comes from a specific type of caffeine called theophylline.

Matcha is an excellent pre-workout (without the crawly, tingly feeling that comes with pre-workouts), which makes exercise more enjoyable. As if that wasn’t enough, matcha has fat-burning, metabolism-boosting antioxidants called ECGC. With only 2.76 calories per gram, matcha is a weight-loss hero.

L-Theanine brings balance to the caffeine by kicking stress and anxiety where it counts. This naturally occurring amino acid creates alpha waves in the brain which supports memory, improves focus, prevents strokes, and hones creativity.

REASON 2: SUPERFOOD-HEALTH-NUT-DRINK

We’ve all heard by now that green tea is good for many reasons. What if I told you that the nutrition in one cup of matcha is equivalent to 10-15 cups of green tea?

Matcha is made from green tea leaves stone-ground into fine powder. When you drink matcha, you are actually ingesting the tea leaves, as opposed to drinking the water left behind after steeping and removing the leaves. This means you get all the Vitamin C, potassium, fiber and polyphenols you’d miss with a simple cup of tea.

And let’s not forget about the antioxidants. The potency of antioxidants is measured by a little something called ORAC (oxygen radical absorption capacity). Matcha has 1384 units ORAC per gram. That’s more than acai berries, dark chocolate, broccoli, blueberries, spinach, walnuts and goji berries combined! These antioxidants are free-radical and cancer fighting. You heard me; this drink fights cancer.

REASON 3: TASTE

Green tea lovers rejoice! Matcha is vegetal, earthy, sweet and bright. It’s the king of green teas.

Before you die-hard sugar-coffee drinkers turn your nose up at the healthful color, and the gorgeous grassy finish, try steaming milk and whipping up a matcha latte. Still not sweet enough for ya? Add a dash of honey or agave nectar.

And remember, folks, choose Organic, ceremonial-grade matcha for the best flavor. If your matcha is brown or yellow, the taste will be dull, bitter, or muddy. If your matcha smells like dust or hay – skip it. The brighter the powder, and the fresher the smell, the higher the quality is and the sweeter it will taste.

Ready for a cuppa’? Check out our 100% Organic Japanese ceremonial matcha green tea, and find yourself a new favorite drink.