December 2024 Newsletter

Hello everyone! I hope all is well and that you had a lovely Thanksgiving. I find it hard to believe that the holiday season is upon us once again and I wish you all a beautiful season that is filled with peace and joy :)

I will be participating in one last vendor fair - an artisanal craft holiday fair at the Suffolk County Historical Society Museum that is taking place this Saturday 12/7! Pre-orders are highly recommended again to ensure I have what you need and the deadline for pre-orders is this Tuesday 12/3. Please see details outlined below. I look forward to seeing whoever can make it to the event!

Holiday teas are now available!! Returning favorites are listed below and assorted samplers and the popular mug gift sets are also available. Autumn teas are still available and they are also listed below, as well. We're continuing to add teaware every week, trying to get as much there as possible in case you are looking for holiday gifts. Unfortunately, this has been a much slower process than we would like; however, if you saw something in the shop and it's not in the online shop yet, please let me know as much detail as possible and we'll get it figured out. Most of the teaware will not be restocked, even once I get to TN, so now is a great time to grab any of the tea sets or teapots that you may have had your eye on. Lastly, gift certificates are also available - see below for details.

My annual holiday raffle is back, so see below for details and be sure to enter! :)

Please note that the last pick-up date at the flower shop this year is Wednesday 12/18, so please get any final pick-up orders in by 12/15. This service will resume January 8th and details are below. Please also note that December 16th is a target date to place any shipped orders that need to be delivered by Christmas or Hanukkah. As always, I strive to ship orders within a day or two, but please note that there may be delivery delays due to the volume the Post Office receives at this time of year. There are still two shipping options available to you, but please note that the estimated shipping time begins once I have filled and shipped the order. Place your orders as soon as possible to avoid any delays! :)

If you will be purchasing gifts to be shipped directly to the recipient, you have the option to include a personalized message on the packing slip. Include your message in the Comments section in the Cart and I will be sure to include it in the order! Need a gift basket? I can put pretty much anything in my offering in a gift basket and they are purely custom, so email me or reply to this email to discuss your needs. Deadline for gift baskets is Friday 12/13 whether they are being shipped or picked up at the florist.

Our move to Tennessee is still on track for March 2025 and, as promised, below are details and key deadlines to keep in mind in preparation. My primary goal before the move is to ensure that you are able to purchase all the tea you need to get you through the duration of the service interruption, which will be longer than the one everyone experienced after the close of Infuse Tea Bar. I have already begun putting an insert in everyone's orders, whether being shipped or picked up, that informs about the upcoming transition. This will continue until the transition and I apologize beforehand to those of you who may get duplicate inserts over the next several months - trying to cover all bases.

This month we are "traveling" to Vietnam. Vietnam crafts some beautiful teas and we are going to explore the country and my tea selection that captures the essence of Vietnam.

As always, I appreciate your continued support of my small business!! :)

-- Kristine, FDN-P

Artisanal Craft Holiday Fair!!

This 12th annual Wooden Wonderland Artisanal Holiday Fair also serves as a fundraising event for the Suffolk County Historical Society Museum. Admission is free to all attendees for the day and vendors will be nestled among the museum exhibits. The timing is perfect for the upcoming holiday season, so be sure to stop by to experience some of Suffolk County's history and get some gifts knocked off your list.

When: Saturday, December 7th

Time: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Where: Suffolk County Historical Society Museum

300 West Main Street, Riverhead

To learn more about the museum and for additional fair details, please visit their website https://www.suffolkcountyhistoricalsociety.org/.

Please note: If you are planning to stop by to pick up anything particular, please place your order in the online shop and indicate Holiday Fair in the Comments section. A shipping charge will be applied, but I will remove it. I will not be able to bring as many teas as I would like to prepare and the focus will be on holiday, autumn, and some other teas, samplers, mug gift sets, small gift baskets and a few other items. To ensure you get everything you would like, please be sure to place your orders no later than Tuesday 12/3. After this and depending on the volume of orders coming in, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to pull your order together in time to bring with me - although I will do my absolute best to do so.***

I look forward to seeing you there!! :)

Pick-Up Option

Donna from West Sayville Flowers (my former business neighbor) has generously offered her shop as an option for order pick-ups! This service will ONLY be available on Wednesdays from 9:00 to 5:00, so as not to interfere with Donna's business. Orders will need to be placed before the end of day on Sundays so that I will have the time to pull them together and get them over to her. If you would like to take advantage of this option, please indicate so in the Comments section of the cart. Please note that a shipping charge will be applied when you place your order, but it will be removed when I manually finalize and charge the order :)

Please be advised that, at times, her shop may be closed for a short period of time while they are running deliveries. They will have a sign posted stating this, so please be aware that this may happen if you decide to use this service.

Last day for order pick-ups this year is Wednesday 12/18, so be sure to get any orders in by Sunday 12/15. Service will resume on Wednesday 1/8.

Gift Certificates

You may redeem any outstanding gift certificates in the online shop! To redeem, please input the following information in the Comments section in the cart: compliments of, especially for, gift certificate number, amount, and date. You will still need to input your credit card, but only the balance will be charged, if there is one. Gift certificates never expire - I put an expiration date on them because I want them to be used, not forgotten in a pile of paper ;).

Need to purchase an e-gift certificate? Feel free to email me at kristine@infuseteabarny.com - be sure to include name from and to and the gift certificate amount. I will email you an invoice that you may pay online. The gift certificates will be emailed to you and you can either email it to the recipient or print it out and give it to them.

Sumatra Hand-Rolled Black Tea will be back in stock shortly!! Blended up fresh batches of Chocolate Peppermint Black Tea, Lemongrass Spearmint Organic Green Tea, White Chocolate Peppermint White Tea, Holiday Punch Fruit Tisane, and Lactation Blend Organic Herbal Tisane!

13th Annual Holiday Raffle

I am extremely appreciative for your support of my small business over the years! To once again show my appreciation and thanks for your support during the year, I am having the 13th Annual Holiday Raffle. This year, I am giving away one $30 gift certificate to be redeemed in the online shop. In order to be entered, please like us on Facebook, Infuse Tea Bar by The Pleasures of Tea, and like the raffle post on Tuesday, December 17th by the deadline at 7:00 PM on Saturday, December 21st. If you do not utilize Facebook, then please reply to this email mentioning the raffle and be sure to include your name. The winner will be announced on our Facebook page on Monday, December 23rd and in January's newsletter.

Good luck!!

Our Upcoming Move Details

The move in March is going to require significantly more logistics and there will be a longer interruption in service than what occurred at the closure of Infuse Tea Bar earlier this year. Preparation has already begun and here are some key things to keep in mind as the time draws near:

• The last day to place orders in the online shop at https://www.pleasuresoftea.com/ will be Friday, February 28, 2025 at 10:00PM EST. There can be no extensions to this date or time, so please make note and place your orders before. All orders placed near the deadline will be shipped no later than early in the next week. Ordering before then will ensure the best selection of teas and quantity that you are looking for.
• I am anticipating to have the website back up for you to place your orders no earlier than May 1, 2025; however, I will not know if this is a realistic date until I have made the move and get everything back up and running. As many of you know, we have a "cat rescue" and my main priority once there will be getting them situated and used to their new home - a monumental feat ;). Getting the business back up and running will most likely be a slow process and I will start the set-up as soon as I will be able, along with getting teas restocked. I will continue to keep you all updated at that time.
• We looked into the possibility of the website remaining live only for browsing and adding items to the shopping cart during the interruption in service; however, this is not feasible. Instead, there will be a message on our page stating that we are moving and anticipate being back up to receive orders around May 1st, etc.
• I am managing my tea inventory very tightly - trying to keep enough so you have what you need, but not so much that I have to move it all with me. I am already out of several teas and anticipate running out of more. This is a goal, so that I can restock once in TN.
• For those of you who are planning to stock up in January or February with larger amounts (8oz or more) of any particular teas or purchasing amounts larger than what you typically order, please email me or reply to this email before Sunday 12/22. Let me know the name of the tea and the quantity you are looking to purchase. I plan to place restocking orders the first week in January, only if I need to, in order to meet your requirements. I will let you know if your request will be possible, as many of my suppliers have large minimums that I may not be able to meet if I only need to order a small number of teas.

I am hoping to make this transition as smooth as possible, while still being able to support you and your tea needs. Reminders and any new details will continue to be communicated over the next several months. If you have any questions or need clarity on the above, please feel free to email me at kristine@infuseteabarny.com or reply to this email.

Teas of Vietnam

Vietnam runs along the eastern coast of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. Laos is to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and China to the north. Indigenous tea plants grow here, some of which are the oldest living and said to be over 500 years old. Throughout history, local villagers would make small batches of tea for their own consumption with the

leaves that they collected from the wild-growing indigenous trees. It was not until the mid-1800's that cultivated tea gardens were established by the French, who occupied the larger region known as French Indochina. Today Vietnam is ranked sixth in worldwide tea production, most of which is cultivated on small tea plantations.

Tea is a growing industry in Vietnam and more land has been allocated in recent years to the establishment of tea gardens. The majority of the tea is produced in the northern provinces of the country, in higher-elevation areas known as the Northern Uplands and Northern Midlands. In the mountainous areas of the southern coastal region tea makers are increasing production of wulong teas, using traditional Taiwanese methods. Other regions of the country produce tea in much smaller volumes, but this may increase with the greater demand for Vietnamese teas. Due to the diversity in topography, the climate ranges from subtropical in the north to tropical in the south.

Vietnam produces mostly black tea, which accounts for approximately 60 percent of overall production, and this tea is mainly for export. Only a small percentage of the black tea is produced using orthodox methods, with the majority being manufactured using the highly-mechanized CTC method. Other teas, which are produced mainly for consumption by the Vietnamese people, are green, wulong, dark teas, and green tea that has been scented with jasmine or the famed lotus blossoms.  

The teas from Vietnam are among some of the most popular that I offer. They are well-crafted and easy to drink. The menu is as follows and click the links to learn more about the details on growing and crafted these wonderful teas: 

• Vietnam OP Black Tea - black teas sourced throughout Vietnam are blended for consistency and yield a medium- to full-bodied, smooth, well-balanced, and highly aromatic infusion with notes of tobacco, spice and fruit.
• Wild Grown Ancient Tree Black Tea - long, twisted leaves yield a full-bodied, rich and smooth infusion with notes of malt, spice, cacao, earth, and a subtle sweetness.
• Tan Huong Tea Cooperative Vietnam Green Tea - beautifully twisted, dark green leaves unfurl to yield a lovely aromatic, light- to medium-bodied, bright, smooth infusion with sweet, vegetal and subtle smoky notes.
• Vietnam Imperial Wulong - loosely rolled leaves have been lightly oxidized about 25% and yield a smooth, light- to medium-bodied infusion that is aromatic and flavorful with sweet floral and creamy notes and a hint of sweet spice.
• Kim Tuyen Mid-Oxidized Wulong - loosely rolled leaves have been oxidized approximately 40%, yielding a light- to medium-bodied, quenching and smooth infusion with nutty, toasty, and honey notes with a soft minerality.
• Wild-Grown Ancient Tree Wulong - long, twisted leaves have been oxidized approximately 75%, yielding a medium-bodied, rich, smooth and satisfying infusion with deep sweet cacao and malty notes.
• Wild-Grown Silver Needle Vietnam White Tea - slender buds yield a delicate, smooth and complex, light-bodied infusion that has a slight viscosity and a lovely sweetness with floral, grassy, and nutty notes.
• Lotus Blossom Scented Vietnam Green Tea - this is an authentic, traditionally crafted lotus blossom tea. The leaves yield an intoxicatingly aromatic, smooth, light– to medium-bodied infusion with a rich mouthfeel and floral, vanilla, and subtle sweet spice notes.

If you decide to "travel" to Vietnam and try these teas, let me know what you think! :)

New Teas

Mug gift sets pictured above and samplers are pictured below. Pictures are old - haven't done new ones yet.

The following holiday favorites have returned:

• Christmas Blend Black Tea
• Chocolate Peppermint Black Tea
• White Chocolate Peppermint White Tea
• Rooibos Chocolate Peppermint Herbal Tisane
• Rooibos Christmas Cookie Herbal Tisane
• Rooibos Orange Gingerbread Herbal Tisane
• Candied Pomegranate Herbal Tisane
• Holiday Punch Fruit Tisane

Assorted samplers and the popular holiday mug gift sets are also available in the online shop and will be at the upcoming holiday fair.

Your favorite autumn blends are still available and are perfect holiday teas too: Apple Molasses Black Tea (limited supply), Gingered Vanilla Toddy Black Tea, Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Black Tea, Pumpkin Pie Black Tea, Roasted Chestnut Black & Green Teas with Yerba Maté, Maple Walnut Green Tea, Rooibos Maple Walnut Herbal Tisane, Rooibos Pumpkin Crème Herbal Tisane, Rooibos Pumpkin Spice Herbal Tisane.

The Pleasures of Tea

www.pleasuresoftea.com - online shop

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