Tea Blog

One of the more established tea companies around is Twinings. Since 1706 when the company opened a warehouse in London, they have been wowing their customers with such classics as English Breakfast. In the mid-1800s they created a tea flavored with oil of bergamot and named it after the 2nd Earl Grey, Prime Minister from 1830 to 1834 to King William IV. Today, their line-up spans the tea spectrum from white and green to oolong and black, in both flavored and unflavored versions. In addition, they have herbal tisanes and other infusions such as rooibos and honeybush.

Richard Twining, who operated the Twining tea concerns on the North American continent in Colonial days, banded together with other tea merchants to expose corrupt business practices by the East India Company. It had a monopoly on shipping tea from countries of origin such as India and China to Europe and the American Colonies. Their actions helped end the monopoly, which established Twining’s Tea Company, already fairly large by that time, as a major player in the tea market.

Today, the Twining family still runs the company, pretty rare. Often, a company that starts out family-owned and run grows large enough for someone else to be interested in buying them, or the descendants don’t have the interest in the company that their parents, grandparents, etc., had. There might not even be any descendants. The Twining family, however, has remained committed to tea for over 200 years.

Some of their teas and herbals you might want to try:

• Blackcurrant Breeze — a selection of expertly blended black teas with a fruity blackcurrant taste and wonderful aroma that can be enjoyed black or with a bit of milk.
• Lady Grey — tea with lemon, Seville orange, and bergamot.
• Jasmine Green — green tea layered with fresh-picked jasmine flowers; the tea leaves absorb the delicate fragrance, creating a mild, refreshing tea.
• Ceylon Tea — a blend of fine Ceylon teas that steeps up a rich liquid that has a fabulous taste.
• Herbal Honeybush with Mandarin and Orange — the finest quality tea mixed with mandarin and orange flavors.
• Lemon & Ginger — an herbal infusion combining the citrus zest of lemon with the warming effects of ginger, naturally caffeine free.

These are just the tip of the proverbial ice berg. Dive in and give ’em a try!

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