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Brewing Tips, Facts

How to Cold Brew Iced Tea!

Sanctuary T Shop Loose Leaf Teas- How to Cold Brew Iced Tea

It’s 98 degrees today in New York City, so we’re glad that we planned for the sweltering weather by cold brewing some tea last night.

Cold brewing is a method of making tea that does not involve boiling water, which makes it perfect for hot days when the thought of a boiling pot is painful. Of course you can choose to make a nice cup of iced tea by boiling water then chilling it (check out our post on how to make iced tea the “traditional” way), but if you want to avoid boiling then try out cold brewing.

All you need to do is put 2 tablespoons of loose leaf tea ( Rooibos, White tea, Herbal Floral teas, and Green teas tend to work the best) in an infuser or a tea bag; and then place the tea into 24 ounces of water–the size of a standard plastic water bottle. Put the water bottle or pitcher in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours and enjoy!

So next time you know the weather forecast is calling for desert-like weather, prepare by doing some cold brewing the night before. We also love cold brewing Rooibos the night before a big work out because it makes the perfect natural sports drink–packed with antioxidants and minerals.

This National Iced Tea Month get your cold brew on!

June 9th, 2011 | Posted by Sanctuary T | 1 Comment »

Brewing Tips, Recipes

The Allergy Fighting Tea Brew!

Sanctuary T Shop Loose Leaf Tea - Allergy fighting tea recipe

Spring time roses and green summer trees are nice; but if you have allergies, everything in bloom can mean endless sneezing and sinus issues–yuck! So we’ve come up with our very own tea concoction that helps soothe those vicious allergy symptoms and let’s you find some peace amid the pollen.

You just need 3 main ingredients: fresh ginger, lemon, and loose leaf Rooibos tea. Rooibos tea is the perfect loose leaf brew to drink when combating a sinus infection, allergies or the common cold. Why? First of all, there is no caffeine so you don’t need to worry about dehydrating yourself. Second, it’s packed with antioxidants and minerals! We particularly love putting in our Pineapple Rooibos into this mix–it gives it an extra kick of fruity that we love.

Just follow these simple instructions:

  1. Slice a small lemon in half and squeeze half of it into a cup
  2. Take the other half and cut them horizontally to make round lemon slices
  3. Peel and slice ginger into thin slivers
  4. Add ginger and lemon into your cup
  5. Pour in hot water
  6. Steep in loose leaf rooibos for 5 minutes
  7. Add honey or sugar to taste (if you like).
  8. Enjoy!

May 26th, 2011 | Posted by Sanctuary T | No Comments »

Brewing Tips, News

Watermelon Tea: Oh So Popular & Back in Stock!

Sanctuary T Shop Loose Leaf Teas - Watermelon Tea infused Beer

Fruity, refreshing, and 100% natural it’s no wonder why our Watermelon loose leaf blend has been out of stock for the past few weeks! And it’s just in time for the new summer season

Made with freeze dried fruit bits and hibiscus, this blend is perfect over iced. And since the entire base of the tea is ediable, you can leave those fruit bits in like sangria!

Check out these ideas of how to dress up your Watermlon tea for any occasion:

  • Watermelon beer! Yup, check out our post on pairing Watermelon tea with your favorite beer. Try enjoying with your next taco night!
  • Add orange slices and grape halves to add an extra fruity flavor.
  • Add slices of ginger in the tea to give it a spicy kick.
  • Splash in a dash of wine, chopped fruit, and make a Watermelon tea sangria

May 17th, 2011 | Posted by Sanctuary T | No Comments »

Brewing Tips, Tea

Our Favorite Spring Time Tea (Secret Blog Special)

Sanctuary T Loose Leaf Tea Blends- Spring time loose leaf blends

We’re excited to shed our heavy coats and sweaters, and to sport our sandals and short sleeve t-shirts! So that’s exactly what we’re doing: enjoying the warm weather!

Our favorite tea to drink while basking in the new found sunlight and listening to birds chirps is our Spring Harvest blend. It’s no big surprise that this is our favorite spring time tea since the leaves are bursting with a passion fruit flavor reminiscent of blooming buds. The unique blend of green tea and white tea leaves also make for a very refreshing and clean steep that will make you feel like you’ve stepped outside into a sun patch.

We love adding a dash of honey to the steep and then icing it! (Not sure how to brew a perfect up of iced tea, then check out this post).  If you are feeling a bit more adventurous try making a stronger brew and adding chilled apple juice into the tea to make a lovely juice & iced tea cooler!

We’re so excited about sharing our spring time favorite that we’re offering an exclusive coupon for Spring Harvest just for our blog readers! Type in promo code SPRING FEVER and get $2 off any size of Spring Harvest (excluding the 1 oz)! So get your dose of spring fever :)

Sanctuary T Shop Loose Leaf Teas - Spring Harvest blend

March 18th, 2011 | Posted by Sanctuary T | 1 Comment »

Brewing Tips, Tea

Loose Leaf Fruit Tea Blends

Sanctuary T Shop Loose Leaf Teas Fruit Tea Blends

If you have a soft spot for juicy fruit flavors, then we’ve got some teas for  you! With warmer days ahead we’re steeping up our favorite Loose Leaf Tea Fruit blends that are ripe with all natural, no calorie sweetness.Forget tea leaves drenched in artificial flavoring and try our fruity blends that have actual bits of fruit in them!

Here are our favorites (based on fruit profiles) along with some refreshing ideas to go along with them:

  • Citrus: Try Tangerine Dream, a blend of Japanese Sencha loose leaf green tea and tangerine orange peels.
    • Try it iced and sweeten with some mandarine oranges!
  • Refreshingly Sweet: Rivaling the flavor of a Jolly Rancher, our Watermelon blend tastes like biting into a big juicy slice of summer.
    • Try icing and adding a splash of lemonade to make our favorite Watermelon Lemonade
  • Slightly Tart: With dried cranberries, loose leaf Chinese green tea, and rose petals, Forget Me Not is the perfect steep for those who love a little tart to their sweet.
    • Add apple juice to sweeten! You will be in love!

March 8th, 2011 | Posted by Sanctuary T | No Comments »

Brewing Tips, Recipes

A Tasty Pu-erh Detox Recipe

Sanctuary T Loose Leaf Teas: Pu-erh Detox Recipe

If your New Year’s resolution is to get healthy, to lose weight, or simply to be happier with yourself, then try sipping on our pu-erh detox tea. The recipe includes all natural ingredients, is packed with antioxidants and minerals, and has little to no calories. And did we mention, it tastes great!

So drink to a better you.

Ingredients:

  • Pu-erh tea–A uniquely processed black tea that is known to aid in weight loss, boost metabolism, and sooth digestive problems; and has a characteristic earthy taste and red color that is delicious. Never heard of it? Try it out and you will fall in love!
  • Orange Juice
  • Cinnamon stick

Directions:

  1. Brew 3/4 cup of pu-erh tea.
  2. After the tea has steeped for about 3-5 minutes, add 1/4 cup of orange juice to the cup
  3. Sprinkle on cinnamon or simply stir with a cinnamon stick.

January 4th, 2011 | Posted by Sanctuary T | 5 Comments »

Brewing Tips

Relax with a Blooming Cup

Sanctuary T White Lily Blooming Tea

Unwind from the 2010 winter holiday rush with an aromatic cup of blooming tea.

Blooming teas are small bundles of tea leaves that are intricately bound together in a special way so that when steeped it blooms like a flower. Not only is watching the unfurling–or blooming–of the tea flower beautiful, but it’s a perfect way to relax and to retreat from the seasonal rush.

Our personal favorite blooming tea for the wintertime is our White Lily, a light green tea that steeps into a floral cup . Try steeping the blooming tea in a glass cup or a wine glass to make the occasion a little more special! So curl up with your blanket, watch a beautiful blooming tea unfurl, and sip a decadent cup.

December 29th, 2010 | Posted by Sanctuary T | 3 Comments »

Brewing Tips, Recipes, Tea

The Cold Stopper!

Sanctuary T Loose Leaf Tea Cold Remedy

Don’t let your sniffles turn into a monstrous cold! If you feel like you might be coming down with something then try this cold stopping tea concoction.  It’s simple, natural, and will clear your sinus while fortifying your immune system with vitamin C. And even better, it tastes delicious.

So don’t drown yourself in fake vitamin C mixes and try stopping your cold with a nice brew of tea.

Sanctuary T Loose Leaf Tea Cold Remedy

Ingredients:

Directions:

  1. Simply brew a cup of ginger tea.
  2. Add a few slices of lemon into tea (make sure to squeeze the lemon). You can also choose to use an orange/orange juice if you like.
  3. Sprinkle some cinnamon and cayenne pepper! (The cinnamon and cayenne help boost your metabolism; so you can keep on going despite the impending cold grogginess)
  4. Add as much maple syrup or honey as you please!
  5. Enjoy with leisure while the tea helps kick that cold!

December 15th, 2010 | Posted by Sanctuary T | No Comments »

Brewing Tips

The Perfect Cup for Kids & Kids at Heart

Loose Leaf Tea and Marshmallows: Chocolate Chai by Sanctuary T

If you enjoyed our last post on sweetening your tea with candy canes or if you (or your kids) have a wild sweet tooth, then try adding some marshmallows to your next cup of loose leaf tea!

We love to add a dash of marshmallows with a splash of milk into a big cup of our Chocolate Chai or Tiramisu Rooibos.  The puffy goodness of the marhmallows adds a sweet tint to the tea that isn’t overpowering and also gives the tea an extra creamy texture. This makes loose leaf tea & marshmallows the ideal treat for kids, and for adults who are kids at heart but still want to be healthy.

While we don’t recommend adding marshmallows to pure loose leaf teas (like Imperial Gunpowder), but feel free to experiment. Who knows maybe a pure green tea will taste swell with marshmallows.

Still not convinced? Just try it out; and soon you’ll see that marshmallows are not just for hot cocoa!

December 9th, 2010 | Posted by Sanctuary T | 1 Comment »

Brewing Tips

Sweeten your December Cup!

stir your loose leaf tea with a candy cane

We’re kicking off December by putting a sweet twist on our favorite wintertime teas! Rather than adding honey, agave, or sugar to our tea, we’re using a candy cane to add a little extra sweet and holiday spirit to our cups.

Now there’s nothing wrong with using the good old sweeteners, but a peppermint or fruity candy cane can add a little special holiday twist to your tea. So next time you have company or you are treating yourself, swirl your warm cup of tea with a candy cane. Here are our favorite teas and candy cane flavors to mix and match together.

  • Try our this week’s featured tea–Chocolate Frost, a blend of honeybush, organic peppermint and chocolate nibs–swirled with the iconic red and white peppermint candy cane.
  • Stir up and sweeten your Earl Grey with a orange or lemon candy cane, which tastes delicious with the bergamot flavors.

our featured tea of the week: loose leaf honeybush, peppermint and chocolate

December 1st, 2010 | Posted by Sanctuary T | No Comments »

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