Wize Monkey Coffee Leaf Tea, Simply Revolutionary!

I had the most extraordinary experience at the Vancouver tea festival, I discovered a very different kind of tea company, Wize Monkey, Coffee Leaf Tea. Yes you read that right, coffee leaf tea. Above in my cup is their Earl Grey, just one of five flavors offered by this unique and impressive company. I do not drink coffee as you can imagine I was skeptical at first, however three sips of tea in and I was amazed at how clean and fresh tasting Wize Monkey Coffee Leaf Tea truly is. Not made from the traditional tea leaf, there is no Camellia sinensis in these biodegradable pyramid sachets, making them a tisane technically, however just a few sips of this rich full flavored full body hot infusion and you will be pleasantly surprised  and perplexed that it could taste this good and that it is not made from the traditional Camellia Sinensis Leaf!  

While at the tea fair I tasted all but the Mango Party tea due to my Mango Allergy, and I was blown away with how much I enjoyed the delicate and smooth flavors of their Original, Minty Marvel, Jasmine and Earl Grey Tea. My friend tried the Mango party and agreed with others stopped at the Wize Monkey Booth that it was fantastic. 

I purchased the Wize Monkey Discovery Pack and brought it home to savor and try full cups of each flavor on my own and I choose the Earl Grey Sachet first. There is the right balance of bergmot flavor and yet no acidic taste even after leaving the tea bag in the pot steeping longer recommended 2-3 minutes. I also like that these tea bags can be reused up to three times with great flavor. I think it is important to note that this is a lightly caffeinated tea, making it a great choice for afternoons. It is Non-GMO, Handpicked, and farm-direct from Nicaragua. I asked one of the company founders to share a bit about the company so that you may see why I got as excited as I did, when finding this very unique and brilliant new company.

KMOT:  Thank you Max for joining us today,I was amazed with the products when I came to your both at the tea fair. What made me stop was the video stream you had playing from the plantation where your tea is made. Can you talk a little about the farm and your partnership with this plantation?  

WM: "Our partnership is essentially a vertical integration with the grower himself in order to ensure that we always keep the growers in mind and also to ensure we have the best possible product and ability to innovate as a team, instead of being buyer vs. grower, which is the norm across tea and coffee industries." 

KMOT: One of the things that caught my attention was the working relationship you have and are building with the farmer as well as your dedication to the workers. Creating jobs year round for these workers as you grow is going to make a monumental change to how the Nicaraguan workers live and their migration patterns can you expand a bit on how you have been able to grow?

WM: "Last year we had employed 25 people to work in the off-season for the harvest, and this year we've gone to over 100, so the impact is materializing as we speak. The locals are happy because they see the extra income as an opportunity to improve their situation and also learn a new trade and craft where they can add more value in regards to processing the leaf and creating the final product, versus just shipping half-processed beans to roasters in other countries and not capture the added value or learn that step of the trade."

KMOT: How did you choose the current flavors offered in the Wize Monkey line?

WM: The current flavours were chosen so that we have a diverse offering of fruity, effervescent, floral, citrus, and our original CLTea. That way, we're sure that everyone can enjoy at least one version of our award-winning Coffee Leaf Tea.

KMOT: Is there plans to offer your tea line loose leaf?

WM: "Eventually we'll get our flavours in loose leaf on the website, but for the moment our hands are incredibly full managing 7 different SKUs."

KMOT: Please share anything you would like my readers about your company and tea line. 

WM: "Creating this social venture has been such an incredible and enlightening experience. We have a very emotional and loyal connection to the people we work with in Nicaragua, and if we have an opportunity to thank them in any way or help them achieve their goals, we are obligated to do so. We've never faced harder challenges than this, in regards to creating a new product from scratch, and what motivates us is the work ethic of those we work with down south. Sometimes we're absolutely swamped and look at each other and ask ourselves if we're going to survive all this stress and pressure, but we remind each other to think of how hard our colleagues and extended family works in Nicaragua, and that fuels our passion to continue and overcome said challenges. All in all, we're incredibly grateful to be in the position to make actual long-term change as it's something that we're both very passionate about. And of course, it's pretty fun to discover and pioneer something that has never been done in history... needless to say it keeps us on our toes! " 

Thank you Max for sharing about Wize Monkey Coffee Leaf Tea. If you would like to learn more about how you can bring the Wize Monkey Coffee Leaf Tea to your own home, Please click here for the Wize Monkey Website.

Thank you so much for joining me here today for a cup of tea and a cozy tea review. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Namasthe Tea Company

Today I would like to share a bit about a local tea company that I had the pleasure of learning about at the tea festival here in Vancouver over the weekend. The Namasthe Tea Company from Whistler British Columbia.

The presentation at this table was truly reflective of the company and the area this tea company is based. I was very pleased with the sensory approach of this tea company took and it got my attention right away!

Just take a look at this photo above and imagine being able to experience this tea on a very tactile and special way. I find it fascinating that this company forages for season ingredients in and around Whistler to add to many of their blends!

After tasting two of their tea blends at the table I was so impressed I asked for one of the business cards, I was then asked "Sure which would you like?" I was puzzled and she said, "My tea is my business card" then offered me some from her selection. I chose this mornings Fresh Tracks Breakfast Tea, which is delicious.

You can learn more about Namasthe company by clicking here to visit their stunning website. 
Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a tea company review. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Life By The Cup By Zhena Muzyka

There is something so wonderful about the gift of the perfect book from a friend. My friend Lisa K sent me Life by the Cup a memoir and self-help motivation book by Zhena Muzyka, founder of the Zhena's Gypsy Tea Company.  This lovely gift arrived a week ago and it took me not time to inhale this book, something that I reserve usually for cozy mysteries. I loved the way this book is laid out and layered with personal history, struggles and strategies used to lift the reader and motive a new perspective on life. There is fascinating and practical advice, something for everyone in this book.
I very much appreciated the raw emotional journey as well as the powerful suggestions and themes of perspective taking, calming strategies and ways for personal growth.

"[Zhena] Muzyka's charisma leaps off the pages of this unconventional, touching, and personal guide to success" ("Publishers Weekly"), featuring seventeen soulful lessons and simple rituals for finding your life's purpose, improving your relationships, and becoming healthier--all in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. Drawing on lessons she's learned throughout her amazing and sometimes difficult life journey, the social entrepreneur and founder of Zhena's Gypsy Tea shares seventeen soulful lessons to help you overcome obstacles, clarify your purpose, and bring awareness to each moment of your life. An inspiring roadmap for discovering the secrets of happiness and success for yourself at any stage in life, "Life By the Cup"'s message is that, no matter where you are, you can change your circumstances and live your dreams. As a twenty-four-year-old single mom, Zhena had an infant in need of life-saving surgery and only six dollars in her wallet. She also had two other powerful motivators: hope and a passion to share her unique tea blends with the world. Combining her kitchen hobby of blending tea, her knowledge of herbs and aromatherapy, and her gypsy grandmother's wisdom, Zhena started selling custom teas from a cart on California street corners. Now, over a decade later, her son is healthy and Zhena's Gypsy Tea is a multimillion-dollar brand. Zhena's insights and gentle guidance will inspire you to increase your compassion toward others as well as yourself. You'll also gain wisdom on how to hone your intuition, ask for help, and live out your true purpose without drastically changing the way you live. Discover your calling, bolster your courage, develop your own flavor of success, and you'll see your own passion make a meaningful difference in the world.

The tea line is delightful! My personal favorite tea from this line is the Raspberry Earl black tea. Last year I tried this line of tea's while I was at a camping retreat about 90 mins from here. The camp mess hall had the entire line and the teas were fantastic. Organic and Ethically sourced these teas were creative and delightful to the palate. My morning go to at camp was the Raspberry Earl. I found myself looking forward to it in the crisp morning air. I was pleased to see I could find the tea at Whole Foods near where I lived. In Canada you can also order it on line from Well.ca in the USA you can find it at World Market and on line by clicking here.

To learn more about this tea line please visit the Zhena's Tea website by clicking here.
To order a copy of Life By The Cup with free shipping from the Book Depository please click here.
To order it from Amazon please click here.
Thank you for joining me today for a tea book and tea review! I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Himalayan Summer Darjeeling Second Flush 2015 Tea Review

I have been enjoying this lovely Darjeeling that Kathy sent me from Happy Earth Tea this week. I have not found a Darjeeling I liked as much as this one in quite sometime. Darjeeling is often referred to as the champagne of teas and I have to agree. It feels very special to have such a rich and elegant tasting tea.

How to sum up the aroma is quite difficult to express. It is a strong, woodsy almost smokey scent yet the taste is anything but. 

the leaves once steeped take on a lighter color and remind me of a walk in the park in the fall. 

The dark caramel color and the rich yet light taste that this tea produced made this the perfect afternoon tea. To learn more about Happy Earth Tea please click here.

Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery today as with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Wild Strawberry Tea From Neverland Tea Salon. The Taste Of Carefree Childhood Summers

I picked up four new teas while I was at Vancouver's Neverland Tea Salon and one of those teas I wish to share and review with you today.

I am normally a black tea enthusiast and rarely find a green tea I feel is full enough flavored to peak my interest. This Wild Strawberry Green Tea however was a complete surprise. When I went for afternoon tea, Wild Strawberry was the tea of the day and while we waited to be seated I was offered a hot tea sample of this marvelous green tea.

One sip of this green tea and I was transported to those carefree summers of my childhood. You remember those hot summer days when the smell of fresh cut grass and the allure of strawberries growing in the back yard pot. This tea served hot tastes like that perfect strawberry warmed by the sun that you pick and pop in your mouth with out a second thought. With each sip the flavor intensified and had me reaching for more. When we were seated and I was asked which tea I wanted to start with I choose to have a pot of Wild Strawberry tea. It is so refreshing and holds it's flavor even when served cold. This is one of my most favorite green teas of all time.

This tea would pair nicely with dessert and is fantastic as an afternoon tea. Light, refreshing and the perfect taste of summer.
If you find yourself in Vancouver I highly recommend stopping by Neverland Tea Salon you can visit their website by clicking here.
Thank you for joining me for this amazing cup of tea.
As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com