The Boston Tea Party and Revolution Tea

History quiz time! Who here can name a historical event in eighteenth century American colonial history that lead up to that pesky American Revolution? If you guessed the Boston Massacre you are correct. If you guessed the Boston Tea Party you are more correct. (Sorry, just a bit of multiple choice, standardized testing humor. We've all had those tricky test questions that ask which answer is "the most correct.") Here’s a little lesson/recap on what exactly went down.

The year is 1765 and the British colonies along the upper American East Coast are hustling and bustling with  uphill development. However, there’s growing tension between the Colonists and Great Britain’s Parliament as King George tries to continue to heavily tax the still growing, Baby Colonists. The Colonists, who later define themselves as Patriots, argue against what they consider “taxation without representation” a.k.a. “paying for the benefits of government without receiving said benefits because they’re living on the other side of the Atlantic.” Whether or not that’s completely true is a discussion for another day, but the point is that England implemented this law called the Stamp Act in one of several efforts to remain in control of the colonies. The Stamp Act taxed the Colonists on every paper good imaginable. Newspapers, cards, stationary, stamps for sending letters, and even playing cards all had a sizable tax on it. And that irked the Colonists…a lot. Meanwhile on the other side of the Atlantic, Britain’s “East India Company” is going broke with debt up to their whigs. So Britain decides to monopolize on tea imports in the colonies in order to save face and make money. Good idea for England, bad news for those unfortunate Colonists. A year later in 1766 and after much grumbling, the Stamp Act is repealed and The Declaratory Act is implemented. While this act didn’t implement another tax it did state that Parliament had the authority to do whatever was best for the colonies and the Great Britain Empire, but mostly the colonies. Just when the Colonists thought ol’ George was starting to lighten up.

Things simmer for a few years while England begins to put their tea monopoly in effect with the colonies. In an effort to dodge it the Colonists, sly insubordinate subjects that they were, smuggled in tea from Holland other sources. Well England couldn't have that, East India Company was still struggling to stay afloat (pun intended)! So in comes the Tea Act of 1773 that stated that the Colonists will not only buy England’s tea and England’s tea only, they will be charged a 25% tax on it. As you can imagine that didn’t go over so well with the Colonists who finally said enough was enough. They were going to do something about it and show those Brits what they thought of their rotten tea!

On December 16, 116 Patriots (one of which was Mr. Paul Revere) dressed up as Mohawk Indians and stormed the harbored ships under the cover of the night. What was their goal? To dump over board 340 chests of tea. That’s 92,000 pounds of tea leaves gone. 18.5 million cups of tea wasted. £10,000 (about $1,000,000 in today’s money) down the drain. Take that Parliament! What I find interesting about the whole thing is that it was actually done quite peacefully. No one got shot or bayoneted. No English sailor got thrown overboard by a pseudo Indian. In fact, legend has it that some of the sailors helped and afterwards everyone swept the docks and gathered aboard the Eleanor for a campfire Kumbaya moment. Okay, okay, the campfire part I made up because it makes for an interesting mental picture, but it is true that the Colonists-gone-mad cleaned up after themselves and then booked it out of Boston before sun up. They also say that the harbor water, being only a few feet deep, was brown for days. That’s possible I suppose. But that wouldn’t make any sense if it’s true that the East India Company sailors who reported for duty the next morning didn’t notice anything amiss with the tea chests until a lock was reported as needing to be repaired a few days later.  Wouldn’t the sailors first notice that the harbor was brown and wreaked of their precious Chinese Bohea tea? Either way I suppose they just weren’t very observant.

Colonists tomahawking away at tea chests

This portrait is actually inaccurate because the raid was said to take place between 7-10p.m.,
not during broad daylight. 

I bring the Boston Tea Party up for three reasons. One, it involved tea and lots of it. Two, I think the American Revolution is pretty fascinating. Three, I recently tried two types of Revolution Tea. I highly doubt that Revolution Tea named their tea after the America Revolution and all its glory, but it still got me thinking about it as I sat drinking a cup of Honeybush Caramel tea one night.  That was one of the great things about both teas I tried; they didn’t contain caffeine. Don’t get me wrong; I love my caffeinated teas and their boosts of energy. But sometimes on those rare occasions that I don’t have to stay up burning the midnight oil, it’s great to have something tasty to sip on that won’t keep me up extra hours researching things that have nothing to do with my college classes. Like the American Revolution. But hey, you won’t find the above facts about the Boston Tea Party in your average 6^th grade American History textbook.

Anyway, back to Revolution Tea. The Honeybush Caramel was a delightful decaf surprise. Honeybush is a type of African Rooibos herb, which means you’re ingesting antioxidants with every sip. And judging by the bright red tea leaves in the tea bag, your cup will be loaded with them. This tea makes for a delicious dessert tea after just about any dinner because of its sweetness. What’s even better is that it’s not too sweet.  In fact, when you take the first sip you’re only going to taste the unmistakable flavor of the Rooibos. Personally, I love it because it’s strong without being bitter like black tea. Only after the Rooibos fades does the sweet Caramel kick in to finish off the sip without giving your taste buds flavor whiplash. That being said, the tea doesn’t require hardly any added sugar and maybe only a touch of cream. Therefore, if you come across a Honeybush Caramel tea or maybe even Revolution’s Honeybush Caramel tea, give it a try for dessert or even something to sip before bed.

The second tea I tried was an herbal Citrus Spice sample. I’m actually not a fan of citrusy teas because I don’t think cream pairs well with them and I like a splash of cream with a Rooibos tea. Yes, Revolution’s Citrus Spice is also an African Rooibos bush tea that has lemon and orange peels in the mix as well.  The spice is the result of cinnamon and cloves, which is the dominant flavor over the citrus. For what I would imagine is most people, that’s a bit too much spice for a tea palate to handle if the citrus doesn’t come through. However, some people might like a strong-spiced tea during the colder months. In that case, I still wouldn’t necessarily try this one because I just don’t agree with the citrus spice pairing. Instead, try Revolution’s Bombay Chai tea. It too contains cinnamon and cloves along with ginger, nutmeg, and general chai goodness. It’s sure to keep you warm in the winter!

Until next time!  

~Pippa

The Front Street Tea Room: Free Thinking to Tea Drinking

            Comfort, Texas is one of the many small towns just a short drive outside of San Antonio.  Nestled in the hill country, it boasts the most well preserved business district in Texas with buildings dating back to the 1800’s. What’s most interesting is that Comfort was founded by German immigrants and Freethinkers. In case you’re a touch rusty on your philosophy, Freethinkers thought that opinions and ideas should be based on logic and reason, not tradition. Although the funky and offbeat is enthralling to explore, I always take comfort (pun intended) in the things that have stuck to the script. Comfort’s spotlighted teahouse, The Front Street Tea Room exemplifies tradition.

            It’s always a joy to stumble upon an establishment that operates a teahouse in its customary form. No overwhelming menus, no ordering counter, no funky spin on tea, and no gimmicks. Just a small teahouse that serves a concise, well thought out lunch and afternoon tea to guests in a comfortable setting. I can’t help but applaud those that have managed to keep a teahouse or tearoom both modest and professional while staying true to the original purpose of such a restaurant. When it really comes down to it, a true tea enthusiast ought to appreciate the fundamentals of the original teahouse: decent china, a few lunch options, a variety of fresh tea sweets or cookies, and a selection of high quality tea. Customers should feel like guests in their friend’s living room.  

When one finds such a place off the main street of a small hill country town (it’s bright green, you can’t miss it) you just can’t help but be drawn in. And what better way to be welcomed as a guest than to be asked to join in singing “Happy Birthday” to an ongoing party while the pastry chef brings out a surprise cake? I had only just walked in the door and I already felt like I was amongst friends. But that’s really no surprise given Front Street’s quaint setting and three-woman crew. Doreen Tavera owns Front Street and has an exceptional chef working to create wonderful menu options that are first tested by the local storeowners of Comfort. Only when the people of Comfort approve of a dish can it be placed on the menu.

I can’t help but give bonus points to a teahouse that really is a house, especially if the shower is still intact in the bathroom. The Front Street house is a one-story home complete with a gravel drive way, three main rooms, old wood floors, pale blue walls, and a spacious backyard. Walk around and the creak of the floors might transport you to your grandmother’s house. The back yard is green and contains an ivy-covered arch entrance and well-shaded bench. Flowers line the edges of the yard with color. The theme of the house is cats and vintage hats wrapped up in antiques and antique furniture. I believe I counted just five or six tables in both rooms. Talk about making yourself at home. If it had been a cold day I would have parked myself by the fireplace one can only hope would be aglow for afternoon tea.

Hat covered fire place mantle

Vintage card table 

The backyard and garden

 From the menu, a turkey and Swiss Panini, chicken grape walnut salad, chocolate chunk scones, pot of Vanilla Crème tea, and a pot of Cherry Rose tea were ordered. As a bonus, a piece of chocolate cake from the party was added for lending a voice in the celebration. None of these items disappointed. The salad was delicious and the daily special of the chocolate scone was fresh and dense with chocolate goodness. I would imagine that it helps to have an extensive herb garden in the back yard to directly supplement the kitchen. I was especially impressed by the sand timers that came out with the teapots to assure guests when the tea is fully brewed. Without it I wouldn’t have known to let the Cherry Rose sit for seven minutes in order to bring out the completed rose taste. By the end of the dining experience my sweet tooth was fully satisfied with both dessert and tea.

Lizzie's ready to dive into that salad

"I prefer for my tea pots to match the dress I'm wearing each day. It would be common not to!"-Lizzie

Other than experiencing a more traditional teahouse that has perfected the art of keeping things simple, I found the most satisfaction in being able to get to know Doreen. Being that Front Street is a small operation, she was able to give us the scoop on the house, furniture, garden and of course, her cats. That seems to be the way it should be done. Not only should teahouses be for friends who enjoy chatting over afternoon tea, but also chatting with the owners and other tea enthusiasts that have come to the table for the same reasons you have. Maybe you just swap a couple comments about the weather. Maybe you exchange a few “freethinking” ideas. Maybe you help sing “Happy Birthday” and congratulate another year lived. Either way, to find a teahouse that provides the environment to do so is refreshing and made oh so sweeter by the selection of the tangible refreshments. The Darjeeling Darlings give the Front Street Tea Room 9/10 stars for their lovely house, welcoming staff, and simple but sweet food/tea selection.

~Pippa

Tazo Earl Grey Tea

   I was pretty excited when I went into the school cafeteria a few weeks ago and saw that they expanded the tea selection. I have really been enjoying this new improvement to the hot beverage choices. Since today was extremely rainy and cold, I thought I would warm up with a cup of hot tea at lunch. I was also pretty excited because this was the first pot of tea that I have made in my new dorm room! I decided to go with Tazo's Earl Grey Tea as my choice. Earl Grey is one of my favorite tea flavors, so I am a little biased.

    I steeped one tea bag for around 3 minutes in my tea pot. I wanted it to be pretty strong and three minutes seemed to do the trick. The black tea was extremely bold and filled with a rich flavor. The blend of lavender and lemon were slightly apparent and helped soften the flavor. There was a lack of sweetness, so I did add a little sugar. I was extremely satisfied with the finished product and it gave me the energy kick I needed to get through my accounting class. I would recommend this tea for anyone who wants that afternoon pick me up and does not want to drink a cup of coffee. Tazo has gotten pretty popular recently since it became part of the Starbucks Corporation. You can order it directly from Starbucks and it retails for less than $5.00 a box. Overall, I would give this tea a 8/10.  

- Jules

Tazo's Earl Grey Tea and Lizzie!

Madhatters Tea House and Cafe

     I’m proud to call San Antonio my home town. It’s a large and ever-expanding city with a laid-back attitude on just about everything. The people are friendly and we’re all bonded together through our love of the Spurs. There are so many wonderful places to eat and there really is quite a bit to do in town if you look. Despite these things, it is no secret that San Antonio is overshadowed by the hippie haven that is Austin. In fact, it was not long ago that I ran into an Austinite attending college in Virginia like myself. I was delighted to meet a fellow Texan who wasn’t from Dallas thinking it gave us an easy common ground. However that feeling was quickly squashed when I told him I was from San Antonio and he replied, “I’m sorry.” Time heals all wounds I suppose! I will concede that Austin is a pretty neat little town. A “vibrance” of sorts can be felt everywhere, from the Drag downtown all the way to the sleepy neighborhoods tucked away from MoPac highway. It is a metropolis independent from the others through its Texas spirit. 

     I say all this because Austin is full of restaurants, cafes, and bars that have more atmosphere than the moon. That’s how all of Austin is-off beat yet progressive. San Antonio is more conservative, heavily influenced with the Hispanic culture, and generally lacking in indy whole-in-the-wall, “the place to be seen,” restaurants. There are a few white whales to be found out there though, especially given the restoration of our historical districts downtown over the years. The King William district that neighbors the River Walk encompasses streets of beautiful old homes that are slowly being fixed up by new owners. You might not think to look for a tea house in an old neighborhood comprised of colonial homes lined with bright crape myrtles.  

Madhatter's Tea House

Beauregard Street of the King William district

     But that’s exactly where Madhatters Tea House and Cafe is located. In the heart of downtown lies said tea house that boasts the funky characteristics of an Austin cafe with a flare for tea. Conveniently located for college students, River Walk tourists, and the few that actually live in the downtown area, Mads sprawling multi-room house is a welcoming hideout. The walls are painted a warm yellow and covered with awards and articles by critics praising the establishment. The worn wood floors and collection of mismatched tables speaks for the longevity of Madhatters relaxed attitude over time. The main and largest room holds the ordering counter, glass dessert cooler, and tea cup shelf. It welcomes the hungry and Sunday brunchers. Two smaller rooms sit opposite the main room on the other side of the building. Their scattered coffee tables and club chairs are occupied by readers and students who work over the company of a pot of tea. Unlike the eclectic design of the main room, these two rooms are better channeled towards the theme of Alice in Wonderland.

                            

Award Wall

Shelf o' tea cups

Madhatter mascot...he could use some sprucing up

     Madhatters cannot be fully experienced in one visit. The menu is so extensive with options for breakfast, lunch, brunch, dinner, and dessert that I had to bring help for entree tasting while I focused on tea. A Darjeeling Darling mustn’t forget the objective to accomplish all because of overwhelming food menu options. An overwhelming tea menu though? I welcome it. Mads offers a wide array of black, green, red, herbal, and oolong teas accompanied by traditional and non-traditional tea sandwiches, scones, and  petit feures. As I studied the menu, I wondered what tea would pair with smoked jalapeño tuna salad sandwiches. Perhaps only a cup of cream to put out the fire. 

Entire tea selection

     It’s such a disappointment to plan to try an item off the menu and find that the restaurant is out of it for the day. This is especially true if it’s still within the lunch hour. I like to think this was because my selection was especially popular and not sold out due to poor planning. Regardless the final order of a turkey-bacon club, cinnamon rolls, chocolate, peach, and raspberry petit feures, a blackberry scone, a pot of blackberry sage tea, and a pot of raspberry quince tea proved to suffice as a sample of what Madhatters had to offer. The sandwich was tasty and both tea selections paired nicely with the desserts that were just enough to satisfy a sweet tooth. Which is to say that the menu alone is not necessarily the reason to visit here. It’s Mads funky atmosphere, mis-matched style, and consistent tea/food basics that make it the recherché place for repose that it is. Why struggle to fit your books, papers, laptop, and tea on a parlor-sized table at Starbucks when you could spread out on library-sized study tables at a place like Madhatters? Free wifi included! 

Tea, blackberry scone, petit feures, and cinnamon rolls

Turkey bacon club sandwich

Welcoming the readers, studiers, and tea drinkers

     Needless to say, Madhatters Tea House and Cafe is a noteworthy hideaway due to the comforts it offers as well as eats and drinks. Like many “tea houses” today, Mads shies away from the traditional English tea room by putting their own spin on menu staples, sweets, and treats. The Darjeeling Darlings give Madhatters two thumbs up and the promise to return for further menu exploration as a Regular.  

~Pippa

We're Back!

Pippa and I have been super busy the last few weeks going back to college. Between moving in and going to class, there really has been no free time to blog. Now that we are back in the swing of things we can't wait to review more great teas and tearooms! Of course life can't be all work and no play so Pippa and I did meet up in Grenada for a little R&R before the craziness of sophomore year. We had a great time soaking up some sun, kayaking, sailing, snorkeling, and exploring the island.

Lizzie was very popular at the market!

Crest Hill Antiques and Tea Room

Since Pippa and I began to write this blog, my mom and I have committed to going to tea one a week when I am home from college. This week we decided on Crest Hill Antiques and Tea Room. A friend, who is quite the foodie, mentioned it and said she was interested in trying the tea room. I went online, read the reviews and knew that it was the place for us. Being the last minute planner that I have become this summer, I called at 10am for a 2pm tea reservation. The owner answered the phone and could not have been more accommodating.

Crest Hill is located in the charming little town of The Plains, Virginia. It is in a cottage like building and inviting from all angles. The parking is located in the back and a path has been made that leads tea goers to the front door. Along the porch steps are tea pot flower pots the brighten up the entrance. They are beyond adorable and a little taste on what to expect inside. The first things you notice once you enter the tea house are all of the antiques. With the prices ranging from high to low, there is something from everyone. 

After browsing for awhile, we were lead into the tearoom by the owner and seated at a corner table for two. The table had linen and china (that matched), which was a huge thumbs up for me. It also was decorated with a vase of fresh flowers and a tea lamp. Crest Hill has monthly tea specials that have about three different teas and different food selections that are special from the menu. The owner brought us out a selection of tea blends that we were able to explore. There are over 25 types of tea to select from, so there is something for everyone. I chose to go with the Diamond Jubilee Tea, which was listed a special, and my mom selected the Yorkshire Gold. Both were brought out in cozy covered teapots and were brewed to perfection.

A Table Set for Two

Since we went around lunch time, we chose to order off the lunch menu verse having the afternoon tea. I started out with a croissant sandwich which had smoked turkey, apple slices, and cranberry chutney, served along with veggies and pickles. My mom selected the curried chicken salad croissant sandwich which was also accompanied with the veggies and pickles. They both were so fantastic that we almost forgot to take a picture of them.  For our second course we went for the traditional scone. I selected a plain one and my mom had a one with currents. We were both delightfully surprised when the came out warm with powered sugar dusted on top. Along with the clotted cream and strawberry and lemon curd, we both agreed that they were some of the best scones we have ever had. Since the sandwich and scones were hug we were getting extremely full by this point but the owner tempted us into trying the homemade chocolate lava cake. Of course she made it sound so wonderful that we just had to try it. It was served warm with whip cream and fresh raspberries. It took us all of three minutes to eat it. We once again agreed that it was one of the most heavenly things we had ever eaten and we so glad that we decided to try it.

Turkey Croissant Sandwich

Curry Chicken Salad Sandwich

A Plain Scone

A Scone with Currents

Chocolate Lava Cake

Crest Hill is by far one of the best tea houses I have ever been too. From the relaxed atmosphere to the fantastic food it is a true gem. I plan on going back and having the full afternoon tea the first chance I get. I would recommend this tea room for anyone who truly wants a relaxing afternoon. Being only an hour from Washington, DC it is the perfect place to stop after a busy morning at the museums. The Darjeeling Darlings would give Crest Hill Antiques and Tea Room a 10 out of 10.