Versailles Lavender Earl Grey

Description

Versailles. The very mention of the famous chateau built by the King of France Louis XIV conjures up images of unbelievable opulence. Early in his reign Louis XIV moved his royal court from Paris to the countryside and began construction of the chateau. Work on the structure began in 1664 and continued almost until his death in 1715. And why did it take so long you may ask? Well, Versailles is big - very big! The chateau has more than 2,000 windows, 700 rooms filled with thousands of paintings, tapestries, sculptures, and pieces of furniture, 1250 fireplaces, 67 staircases and is surrounded by more than 1,800 acres of parkland. Did we mention it was big?

Louis XIV's life in the palace was extremely regimented. Nothing was left to chance since as King, he was considered second only to God, and deserved only the best. Subsequently, at Versailles, there were rules for everything. (This is where our inspiration for this tea blend comes in.) Louis XIV was always known for his fondness for fresh lavender from the French countryside. He was so fond of it that he demanded to be bathed in lavender scented water every morning. In 1658, he even issued a royal decree ruling exactly how lavender was to be used to scent soap, the "Edit du Roi Pour le Manufactures du Savon" - the man seriously loved his Lavender. So, when it came time to blend a tea in honor of this ancient royal, it only seemed fitting that we blend it with the King's favorite flower.

Aside from being a lover of lavender, Louis XIV was also revered at the time as quite a statesman. So, since it is no secret that over the years there has been no love lost between the French and the English, we thought we'd do our part for French statesmanship by blending our fresh lavender with a British favorite, Earl Grey. We think that you'll find the results to be as sumptuous as the vast halls of Versailles. When brewed, this tea has a delicate floral bouquet that compliments the citrus character of Earl Grey's bergamot beautifully. Truly an exceptional tea. A votre santé!

Steeping Instructions

PRODUCT TYPE: Loose - Black Tea

IDEAL BREWING TEMPERATURE: 100ºC/212ºF

ANTIOXIDANT BENEFIT: For a greater antioxidant benefit brew longer and use more tea.

FOOD SAFETY ADVISORY: We strongly recommend using filtered or freshly drawn cold water brought to a rolling boil when brewing all types of tea. Today's water has been known to carry viruses, parasites and bacteria. Boiling the water will kill these elements and reduce the potential incidence of water-borne illnesses.

Epic Iced Tea Instructions

Tea isn't just served hot!  Iced tea is one of the most refreshing and natural thirst quenchers around the world.  Here is our suggested method of brewing the best iced tea.

ICED TEA BREWING METHOD (Pitcher): (To Make 1 Liter/Quart):

1. Place 6 slightly heaping teaspoons of loose tea or 6 tea bags into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher.
2. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 1¼ cups/315ml over the tea.
3. Steep for 5 minutes.
4. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water.
5. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the tea or removing the bags.
6. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste.
7. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase
8. the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water.

Note: Some luxury quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of luxury quality and nothing to worry about.

ICED TEA BREWING METHOD (Individual Serving):

1. Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea or 1 tea bag into a teapot for each serving required.
2. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 6-7oz/170-200ml per serving over the tea.
3. Cover and let steep for 5 minutes.
4. Add hot tea to a 12oz/375ml acrylic glass filled with ice, straining the tea or removing the bags.
5. Not all of the tea will fit, allowing for approximately an additional ½ serving.
6. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted.

Note: Some luxury quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of luxury quality and nothing to worry about.

HERB & FRUIT ICED TEA BREWING METHOD (Pitcher): (To Make 1 Liter/Quart):

1. Place 12 slightly heaping teaspoons of herb & fruit blend or 6 tea bags into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher.
2. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 1¼ cups/315ml over the herb & fruit blend.
3. Steep for 5-10 minutes.
4. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water.
5. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the tea or removing the tea bags.
6. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste.
7. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced herb & fruit tea is to increase the strength of hot brew since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water.

HERB & FRUIT ICED TEA BREWING METHOD (Individual Serving):

1. Place 2 slightly heaping teaspoons of herb & fruit blend or 1 tea bag into a teapot for each serving required.
2. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 6-7oz/170-200ml per serving over the herb & fruit blend.
3. Cover and let steep for 5-10 minutes.
4. Add hot tea to a 12oz/375ml acrylic glass filled with ice, straining the tea or removing the bags.
5. Not all of the tea will fit, allowing for approximately an additional ½ serving. Garnish and sweeten to taste.
6. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed herb & fruit tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted.