
Good morning, tea friends! I hope that you are all staying warm, sipping tea, and haven't been snowed in! If you are one of our Upstate New York compatriots, you know what I mean. We have been buried! While this can be concerning for some, it is just the opposite and quite exciting for others; our ski and snowboard sippers! We woke up this week to a hefty load of what you call "fresh pow"! The roads may not be great right now, but the slopes certainly are!






Black diamond ski trails are known to be for the advanced and experienced slope riders. They are significantly steeper, narrower, un-groomed, and incorporate more moguls. If you see someone head toward the black diamond, you can be sure that this isn't their first rodeo! Just as this person knows a thing or two about slicing through the snow, the black diamond tea drinker, too has a cutting edge palette. When you are sipping with these tea drinkers, you better be ready! For those ready to ride the black diamond, we have our Hot Cinnamon Spice tea. We chose this tea as when you become proficient in both skiing and tea drinking, you like a challenge. Once you start to get your legs below you, you will spend most of your time on the black diamonds! Hot Cinnamon Spice is by far our most popular tea and we think you'll be spending a lot of time with it! Again, this tea (at least not the caffeine free version) is a black tea that smolders with 3 different types of cinnamon. Whilst drinking this, you will have to negotiate not only these different types of cinnamon either. You will be confronted with the moguls of clove and ember-like citrus chips as well. As you swish through this tea trail, remember to ride the flavors all the way through so that you don't miss anything. Just as the cold of snow opens your chest as you breathe it in, this tea will similarly cause your lungs to feel warm and to expand. We highly recommend you take at least one trip down this one. You won't regret it and we can almost guarantee you'll be back for another try! (Again, we have this in a Decaf Hot Cinnamon Spice as well if you're more of a night skier!)
Once you have mastered the bunny hill, the green circles, the blue squares, and the black diamonds, you have become quite the expert in your teas. You can easily decide between an Assam or a Darjeeling and you shudder at the thought of bagged tea from the grocery store. You, my friend, are ready for the "expert only" double black diamond. Double black diamond ski trails are very, very narrow and steep. They incorporate different obstacles such as exposed rock or cliff drop offs that only the most precocious of winter sport athletes can handle. As mentioned above, if you are a double black diamond tea drinker, you drink our Chinese Silver Needles. Just as only very adept skiers can appreciate the prestige of the double black diamond, only tea sommeliers can appreciate the beauty of our Chinese Silver Needles. This white tea is intended for special occasions and is described as "ethereal". It is plucked as the immature bud and leaf of the first bloom from the tea plant after the long rest of winter. It is said to pack an abundance of healthy goodness amidst its delicate and dry flavors. As you sip it, you will notice a subtle sweetness to the finish. Imagine the satisfaction of sliding to the bottom of your ride down the double black diamond you have just conquered. This is the same sweetness you will taste in this exquisite white tea.
You've made it to the bottom of this blog post mountain, tea friends! Take a minute to smile and then perhaps head to have some après-ski! Let us know which teas you head to the mountain with and how you fare with them! We love to know your experiences! In this case, if your life is going downhill, you're headed in the right direction! See you on the slopes! - Kaytea :)
P.S. Even if you are proficient on the black diamond trails, don't forget, it can still be fun to ride down the bunny hill every once in awhile! :)
P.S.S. As a quick reminder for our Finger Lakes folks, the always anticipated Downtown Canandaigua Fire & Ice Festival is this weekend! This Saturday, February 19th, from 10AM-5PM join us right on Main Street in Canandaigua for the ultimate in seasonal celebration featuring the coolest ice carving competitions and sizzling fire shows! Melt away your winter blues and enjoy a unique winter experience with food, festivities, and family fun!