Black and Herbal Teas Handmade By Artisans
Once the weather starts to get cold in the autumn season, I immediately I want to bundle up with a hot cup of tea in my hands. You really can’t get the full hygge experience without a warming hot beverage to sip and enjoy.
Artisan teas are especially wonderful on chilly days because you are enjoying both the aromas and the warmth in your mug, it’s truly a delight for the senses. These loose leaf teas are handcrafted by tea connoisseurs who carefully select the best herbs, flowers, dried fruits and more to create these highly complex tea blends.
The tea world is so specialized that there’s actually Tea Sommeliers (similar to Wine Sommeliers). These experts are dedicated to studying and educating the public on the history of tea, the many types of tea, tastings, production and processing. There’s so many aspects to consider when evaluating tea products.
When you begin shopping for your new favorite artisanal teas, you can chose between green tea, black tea and herbal teas. The caffeine content will vary greatly between the blends, and many are naturally caffeine-free.
The small tea companies listed below create mostly small-batch and handcrafted tea blends, and many of them are organic. Make sure to keep checking back because new limited edition tea products are often released.
A New Generation of Tea Lovers
Tea has been around for 5,000 years, so it’s obviously nothing new to humans. But in more recent years tea has become a growing trend with millennials, particularly the specialty artisan teas. While coffee will always be a favorite beverage for many, tea is coming up as a close second in popularity.
Tea drinkers are turning to blends for specific reasons such as seeking a more natural energy source and aide with concentration and focus (instead of the very unhealthy energy drinks such as Redbull).
Wellness and health experts are turning to mushroom teas such as chaga mushrooms. These mushrooms have been used for centuries in ancient Chinese medicine, and are now embraced by western culture as a natural alternative to drugs.
Another wellness tea trend is the use of adaptogens to calm and ease stress. Ashwagandha is an medicinal herb that can reduce stress levels of the hormone cortisol when infused into a tea blend. Adaptogen teas are a favorite for endurance athletes and the celerity clients of wellness gurus.
Kombucha is another tea trend that has exploded in the United States, and is readily available to purchase in any health food store. Kombucha is fermented tea with healthy bacteria, and the fermentation process can also convert the tea into alcohol. Boozy kombucha brands are emerging all over California, it’s the new craft beer.
Top Artisanal Hot Tea Brands
Etsy Market Artisan Teas
Etsy was founded to make it very easy to shop for handcrafted goods from artisans, no matter where they are located. Their marketplace for artisan teas is comprised of an impressive collection of small batch tea makers, you’ll find thousands of tea blends to chose from.
Rishi Tea & Botanicals
Rishi Tea is a Direct Trade importer, meaning they forge personal relationships with the farmers. These organic farms grow ecologically sustainable gardens yielding the highest quality tea.
Tielka Organic Tea
Tielka Tea is made in Australia with all organic ingredients. Their inventive blends of chai include unique additives including cacao and chili.
Litlle Red Cup Chinese Tea
On the Little Red Cup website you can shop for ancient Chinese tea blends that are traditionally used for healing. This ethical company makes tea products that are both certified organic and fair trade.
Thistle & Sprig Tea Co.
This premium tea company hails from Atlanta, Georgia. They make botanical blends with flowers and herbs, which produce fresh and sweet aromas.
Teapigs.
This colorful UK tea brand focuses on quality tea made with sustainable practices. They differentiate themselves by using big and whole tea leaves to give the brewed tea a bold flavor. Give their matcha blends a try!
Smith Teamaker
The Smith premium tea brand is made in Portland, Oregon. Each handcrafted tea blend has a batch number which allows the drinker to search the history and origins of the ingredients.
Imperial Tea Court
The Imperial Tea Court was founded in San Francisco’s famed Chinatown and was the first traditional Chinese teahouse in America. You can shop a large assortment of teas on their online shop.
The Hemp Division CBD Tea
The Hemp Division is the sister company to popular tea company Harney & Sons Fine Teas. CBD has been hailed as the new wellness wunderkind and now you can enjoy it either steeped in your tea or in a cold tea beverage.
Juniper Ridge Botanical Teas
These naturally caffeine-free teas as inspired by nature with earthy ingredients such as Douglas Fir, Yerba Santa, White Sage and Wild Mint. These fragrant teas will instantly transport you to the wild mountains of the Pacific Northwest.
Top Ways to Steep Your Tea
When it comes to steeping your tea, you can either brew a batch to share with fellow drinkers or make an individual cup. I recommend using quality ceramic teapots or tea infusers, and closely following the steeping instructions that come with your tea. To obtain the best tea flavor, you don’t want to over or under steep the leaves. Adding cream, lemon, honey or sugar is optional to taste.
One of the best places online to shop for brewing tea ware is Teabloom.
Artisanal Teas from Around the World
You can easily take a trip around the globe from within your own home by sampling teas from different continents. There’s so many different countries of origin for artisan teas, and each one has distinct flavors and health benefits.
Chinese Green, Black and White Teas.
Shopping for Fair-Trade & Organic Teas
You’re likely to pay a more premium price for both organic and fairtrade teas, and there’s a good reason for it. Teas that are certified fairtrade make sure to pay their workers a living wage, often times more than the much too low required minimum wage. Fairtrade also ensures that the workers have safe and healthy working conditions.
Organic teas require that harmful chemicals and pesticides are not used in the growth and processing of the tea. Which results in a healthier working environment for the workers, and a higher quality product for the consumer.
