Summer Brews

Loose leaf tea has exploded in the marketplace over the last five years, which is good news for me since I’m a big fan! I discovered the superiority of loose leaf tea nearly a decade ago during a stay at Jasper Park Lodge in Alberta – a “throw-back to the 50’s” kinda place with rustic mountain-side cabins, food that I can still remember and wildlife abound. A similar feel, I would say, to Kellerman’s in Dirty Dancing. It was there that I had my first cup of Earl Grey loose leaf, brewed in a French press…I had never tasted tea that good! I came home from that trip, bought my own French press and found a tea shop at the St. Lawrence Market in Toronto, the only supplier of loose leaf I could find. Back then, Teaopia and David’s weren’t at the mall and even the big grocery store suppliers like Tetley hadn’t clued in to selling tea loose leaf and in a multitude of flavours and varieties. More recently I discovered that a woman named Kerri, in my very own neighbourhood, sells tea from her home-based store, Lee Middleton Gourmet Tea and on-line at www.completelytea.com. So, I’ve been sampling a lot of new flavours and dabbling more in Green Tea lately.

With summer now here, I’ve switched over to more iced tea for a nice, refreshing change. Let me tell you, making iced tea is dead simple – you must give it a go!

Here’s the how-to:
1) Put 4-6 tablespoons of any loose leaf tea variety in a pitcher
2) Fill with water (filtered is best)
3) Put it in the fridge overnight
4) Strain in the morning
5) Taste it and decide if you want to add any additional flavours
6) Add at your discretion – juice from freshly squeezed lemons, limes or other citrus fruits
7) Dissolve at your discretion – natural sweeteners like sucanat (raw cane sugar), agave nectar or honey
8) Stir well, pour and enjoy!

My current favourite is Iced Mint Green Tea – no sweetener or add-on flavours necessary – just fresh and crisp. It’s a perfect alternative to a lot of sugary beverages that can make their way into your home. The beauty is that you can mix and match tea varieties and flavours to experiment with different tastes – last night I blended Pink Princess Tea with Cherry Rose Green Tea…yum! If you’re on the road this summer, you can also try Starbucks Iced Teas – opt for no sweetener of ½ sweet – and enjoy a nice taste of real brew!
Visit www.completelytea.com to pick out some loose leaf tea varieties to taste both hot and over ice. If you enter coupon code thoughtspots and you’ll get $5 off your order too. Cheers and happy brewing this summer!