Tea Blog

ICED TEA & THE COLD BREW CONTINGENT

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Before ice was cool it was water

June is National Iced Tea month and in honor of this holiday we'll be offering some deep knowledge and deeper discounts to help keep you intellectually and actually insulated in the impending summer months. So, while your sipping on that sweaty beverage we offer you some fodder from the pages of history. We're going to unearth how tea went from hot to cold in two easy moves. The story behind iced tea's transformation from Midwest flare to world class fare.

The idea of icing this beverage is as old and celebrated as the union of this fair country.  However, the advent and origin are wildly debated. Cookbooks and confederacies touted the incorporation of cold cubes and crisp flavors as early as the 1840's. The Kentucky Housewife was one of the first periodicals to preach the gospel of this lovely libation calling it "Cold-Tea" and even articulating a recipe calling for "scalding" your kettle and then adding 2 teaspoons of green tea to it. Hard to believe given we see so much black tea these days, but then Chinese and Japanese green dominated the market prior to World War I & II.

However, the most widely distributed tout of truth brings us nearly half a century later at the St. Louis fair where, Richard Blechynden, director of the East India pavilion, became frustrated as he tried to offer samples of the hot stuff in the midst of the sweltering Midwest summer. His idea had not yet inoculated this beverage with sub-zero cubed delight; instead he channeled his brewed benevolence through a series of lead pipes immersed in ice resulting in a cool, refreshing beverage that tamed the tongues of fair goers alike.

Today, the newest of iterations have begun to emerge in the way of something known as "cold brewing". This is an idea that incorporates steeping the leaves of the tea for longer periods of time and at much lower temperatures to abide a full-strength non-ice necessitating refreshment. The resulting infusion lends itself to a softer, silkier palate and at full strength. Zhi Tea is proud to have been an early originator providing cold brew at zhitea.com since 2011 and we are overjoyed to see the trend taking off with a swift "can't stop won't stop" attitude.

As the summer season opens up and we find a revitalization in the newness of our own lives, perhaps cleansing the palate with the crisp and fervent flavors of an icy libation becomes necessary; something that reminds us of backyard barbeques, new beginnings and better times to come.

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Zhi exists to create moments to Pause, Reflect, Connect. In a world where technology and social media could be barriers to connection, it is often the case that meaningful relationships can be formed that were otherwise less likely. We love that!

Take our fondness for Instagram for instance. Here, tea lovers from all over the world can share beautiful pictures of tea and be connected despite language barriers. A beautiful picture indeed says 1000 words. We love seeing your @zhitea time!

On Twitter, Zhi Tea is able to connect with tea lovers in every time zone. Here, we’re able to answer your questions, have tea chats, and share tea quotes. Reading your #zhitea tweets makes us smile daily.

Love Pinterest? We do too! Browse our curated boards of seasonal inspiration, global tea culture, and easy to make tea recipes. Zhi’s passion for beauty, connection, and tea is expressed here as well. Join us! We love to see what you pin too.

Sign up to follow us on your favorite social media site before the holiday season. We’ll be sharing seasonal specials throughout the year and we want you to enjoy all the great moments. Thanks again for making Zhi Tea part of your love, your life. We love being connected in every possible way! Please say hello however you like best.

Our tearoom is in a flurry of delight! Kettles are whistling, tea cups clinking, tea leaves curling and unfurling.

This is a usual state of affairs at Zhi Tea, but today, it’s in response to a very special gift. Zhi Tea has been named a “Best of Austin” establishment by the Austin Chronicle. Yee haw!

Every year, the Austin Chronicle allows their readers to vote on their favorite local icons ranging from ‘Best Boot Scuffed Dancefloor’ to ‘Best Barbecue.’ They also invite their team of critics to pick their ultimate finds in categories like ‘Arts & Culture’ and ‘Recreation.’ Being chosen in any category is a true honor as it is an opportunity to feel the local love.

This year, Zhi Tea was included in the Food Section of the Critics’ Picks. Our category: “Best Way to Take Back the Tea Party.” We love the clever nod to current events as yes, we do want to take back tea from any possible stigma. Zhi Tea was founded on the effort to elevate tea culture in America.  Tea is amazing! Tea parties rule! Our passion for ultra premium organic tea is an opportunity to ‘be’ the tea culture. We pledge to keep Austin weird by staying enthused and appreciative of all our tea-freaks and tea-nerds, and sourcing the very best tea from around the world for them.

Many congratulations to the Austin Chronicle as well. This was their ultra special 25th Anniversary edition of their “Best of Austin” awards. And again, many thanks to everyone in Austin who makes this city such a great place to work, eat, live. And of course, drink tea.

Green!

The color of spring. Have you caught a glimpse of the oncoming season? Here in Texas, we’ve seen hints of winter’s end earlier than most of our tea loving friends across the country.

To celebrate, we’re drinking even more green tea than before. Here, we’d like to invite you to enjoy one with us: Gyokuro.

Gyokuro is a rare green tea from Japan. Not to be confused with sencha, gyokoru has its own harvesting, processing, and steeping methods which yield a distinctly different cup. The name “gyokuro” means “jade dew,” referring to the pale, whispy green color of the infusion.

If you like the grassy notes of sencha, you’ll love gyokuro. Before being harvested, gyokuro tea leaves are shielded from the sun for at least two weeks. This step heightens the naturally occurring photosynthesis of the plant. Here, the levels of both l-theanine and caffeine increases and there’s plenty of reasons to celebrate that effect! Plus, it gives gyokuro a distinct aroma and a slightly sweeter flavor from this covering process too.

Steep this delicate green tea at a lower temperature than most, and for less time. Experiment to find your perfect steep. Get lucky!

How do you take your tea, my dear?

Black? Green? With sugar or honey?

This January, in the height of winter, we’ll take ours hot, with a sigh, a gluten free macaroon, and a steaming tea cup of decadence.

January is National Hot Tea Month. Last year, Dr. Oolong suggested many great ways to Pause, Reflect, Connect over this tea holiday. This year, the girls at Zhi Tea have their own ideas! Lady GABA and the Ginger Peach want to celebrate “Haute Tea Month.”

All January, we’ll be drinking hot tea, reading fashion magazines and gushing over the gourgeousness found on Tea and Fashion’s tumblr account.

In this elevated state of luxury, one wonders why we ever started to ice this drink at all.  Pinkies up!

Have you ever heard of yaupon? You’re not alone.

This surprises many as this native plant is North America’s only indigenous source of caffeine and we all know how popular caffeine is!

Thanks to a neighboring harvester in Cat Springs, Texas, Zhi is able to bring you your new favorite tea, grown right here in Texas.

Pronounced “yo pawn,” this tea is well known to native North American Indians and had adapted perfectly to the dry environment in which it grows. This rare caffeinated herbal tea loves time and temperature: give it very hot water and steep it a little longer than average, about 5 minutes. It’s cup is a beautiful amber glow and the taste is superb! Notes of honey and almonds.

Like most tea, flavor is not your only reward. Yaupon has been studied and found to have tons of antioxidants, flavonoids and theobromine, the anxiety free caffeine also found in pure cacao.  This best kept secret is going to be your new favorite tea to share with your friends and family. Try some today!