I hope that everything continues to be well!
March is here, winter is almost over, and spring is right around the corner! A few new teas have arrived at the shop and they are listed below in the New at the Shop section. I am excited to announce that two of the new teas are crafted from the Ruby 18 cultivar on the island of Taiwan. It is these two teas that are the focus of this month's newsletter and I hope you enjoy your introduction to them, if you are not already acquainted.
As a reminder, pre-orders of loose leaf teas are encouraged in order to streamline the preparation of your custom orders and reduce your wait time, especially if the shop is busy when you arrive. Orders also continue to be shipped nationwide and all (pre)orders can be placed in our online shop www.pleasuresoftea.com. Your order is not finalized until you pick up, so there is no need to input your credit card info. This allows flexibility to browse the shop, add more teas, a cup of tea, or some of our goodies to your order. The implemented COVID policies and procedures remain in effect to ensure the best possible experience in the shop, however, I have made some changes that are outlined below. For easy reference, all the details, except for the new update, can be found on the shop website www.infuseteabarny.com.
I appreciate your continued support of my small business and I wish you much health and great tasting cups of tea!
-- Kristine
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Ruby 18 Teas
You may have heard of or maybe even tasted teas named Ruby 18. Sometimes tea purveyors provide information about the teas they are selling, but I have found that many do not. This may be the case with teas crafted from the Ruby 18 cultivar. Two fantastic quality Ruby 18 teas have just been added to the tea menu and I figured this newsletter would be a great opportunity to introduce you to them!
Ruby 18 is a hybrid cultivar that was created by the Taiwan Tea Research and Extension Station (TRES). It is a cross between a wild-growing Shan tree variety native to Taiwan and a native Burmese large leaf variety of Camellia sinensis assamica. Also known as Red Jade, the official name of this cultivar is TRES #18. The cultivar was under development for about 45 years before being released to farmers in Taiwan in 1999. The teas made from the Ruby 18 cultivar are highly sought-after; however, many of the Ruby 18 teas in the marketplace are poorly crafted and their success is dependent purely on marketing.
Our Ruby 18 teas, however, are crafted by an award-winning tea maker who has trained extensively to produce this superior quality tea. The garden is located in Mingjian Township in the western part of Nantou County in the central part of the island of Taiwan. The plants thrive in a subtropical climate at an elevation about 1,000 feet. They undergo organic cultivation, but are not certified, and are hand-plucked and processed.
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Ruby 18 Formosa Black Tea: Ruby 18 black teas are among the most popular black teas consumed in Asia. The long, twisted, dark leaves of this tea unfurl to yield a smooth, thick, medium- to full-bodied infusion that is sweet and complex with rich notes of fruit, wood, herbs, malt and a cooling, menthol finish.
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Ruby 18 Formosa White Tea: Most Ruby 18 leaf is processed into black tea; however this is an experimental batch that has been processed using white tea techniques. The large, naturally-dried, multi-colored leaves unfurl to yield a smooth, sweet, viscous, medium-bodied infusion that is well-balanced and complex with fruity and grassy notes, a subtle sweet spice and a cooling finish.
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Both teas are available in the shop and in the online shop, so feel free to explore these wonderful teas! :) |
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COVID Procedures and Pre-Order Reminder
The COVID procedures remain in place, but one of the procedures is being revised. As a result of the latest information about COVID, I am slowly relaxing the policy on the number of people that can be in the shop at a time and drinking at the bar is now back (with some restrictions)!! I have been testing this relaxed policy for the past few weeks and it has been working well. This broader implementation will be a test to see how smoothly it works and any necessary adjustments will be made and communicated. Please also remember that I may need to make immediate adjustments to this policy during your visit, if conditions warrant it. There will still be some requirements with the relaxed policy:
- Due to constraints of space in the shop and lack of social distancing, no more than four will be allowed to drink at the bar (may be subject to change based on the traffic at the shop at a given time). This will also enable additional customers to come in for pick-ups and to browse. I may ask you to shuffle around or wait outside if the traffic at the shop picks up. I apologize up front for this inconvenience, but will always try to strike a balance in each unique situation.
- Time restrictions will be implemented so that the bar is available for all who would like to enjoy a cup in the shop again, i.e. no camping out at the bar. I ask that you please be respectful of other customers and be mindful of those who are waiting to drink at the bar, especially if you have been there for a while.
- Masks will continue to be required in the shop. Yes, I agree it's not ideal to be fussing with the mask while drinking your tea, but it is the only way to open the bar back up responsibly.
The shop is still not back to the full operations that we had prior to COVID, but some of the services have been added back like the preparation of the time-consuming specialty drinks - Thai Iced Teas, lattes, and tea lemonades.
As a reminder, mine is not an off-the-shelf shop; instead, I offer a customer-focused approach where everything is custom prepared to order and I offer the unique option of having any of my 500 teas prepared fresh for you either hot or iced. The benefit to this approach provides the greatest flexibility to personalize your experience and best meet your needs, but the downside is that everything takes time to prepare and there are no shortcuts. It is strongly recommended that you continue to pre-order your teas for pick-up in the online shop at www.pleasuresoftea.com, especially if you will be short on time or prefer to shorten your wait time. Pre-orders of one or two teas are no longer necessary, but appreciated. Larger orders are still requested to be pre-ordered. Any teas or herbs that are not currently on the website yet can always be added to your order at the shop, along with anything else you would like to add. I am not putting the pre-order tips in this newsletter because they have been included in the newsletters over the past six months. These newsletters are all available for reference by clicking here.
I continue to stay current on COVID-related information and will make adjustments to the remaining policies when I believe it is acceptable to do so. I will be sure to communicate any relevant changes in future newsletters, on our facebook page Infuse Tea Bar by The Pleasures of Tea, on the shop website www.infuseteabarny.com and the online shop website www.pleasuresoftea.com.
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New at the Shop
Ruby 18 Formosa Black Tea and Ruby 18 Formosa White Tea, as discussed above. A new black tea from Assam, India has also just arrived - Kanoka Estate Assam Black Tea. All are available in the shop and the online shop!
Going, going, almost gone! There is only a small amount left of the following fall and holiday teas: Christmas Blend Black Tea, Gingered Vanilla Toddy Black Tea, Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Black Tea, Pumpkin Pie Black Tea, Roasted Chetstnut Black Green & Yerba Mate Blend, Rooibos Pumpkin Creme Herbal Tisane, and Rooibos Christmas Cookie Herbal Tisane. Grab your favorites to enjoy during the waning days of winter and the cool early spring days.
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New macarons will also be available this weekend! Cherry Blossom and Chocolate Marshmallow will return. And Red Velvet is being introduced. These join the twenty+ other flavors that are available in the shop. Yum! |
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106 Main Street
West Sayville, NY 11796
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500+ Loose Leaf Teas & Herbal Tisanes
Certified - Tea Professional, Tea Sommelier & Tea Health Expert
Student of the Art & Science of Herbalism
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