On the Loose
Escape palate fatigue with Oregon iced tea
Amy Stahl began her tea journey in the forests, rivers and deserts of Oregon’s diverse landscapes. From her Bend workshop, she blends organic ingredients for distinct brews. Sweet Bee sachets — made for iced tea — contain local lavender, Chinese jasmine and Madagascar vanilla bean. The result is a naturally sweet, smooth, accessible green tea.
The Corvallis CBD brand now sells an unusual line of loose teas incorporating therapeutic CBD derived from no-spray, sun-grown hemp flower cultivated in the Willamette Valley. Summer Solstice, a mixture of green tea, marigold flowers, peach pieces, ginger root and powdered coconut milk, contains 20 mg of CBD per heaping teaspoon.
Specializing in farm-direct, organic teas, Portland-based mother-daughter duo Maggie Cassidy and Briana Thorton have collaborated with Suzor Wines of McMinnville for La Vie en Rose, a blend of tulsi, rose, caraway and fennel designed as a post-dinner palate cleanser. Add a dollop of honey for the iced version. Visit www.suzorwines.com to purchase a thoughtful gift set of Suzor Wine, Aesthete Tea and Alchemist Jam — a portion of each sale will be donated to Color of Change.
The state’s first tea farm has been steadily brewing since 1989 when Rob Miller and John Vendeland planted an experimental half-acre of Camellia sinensis in West Salem. The teas are certified organic, handpicked and made in small batches of green, oolong and black varieties (above). New lots soon available online and at the Salem farmstand.
Portland’s beloved teahouse icon continues to energize — or soothe — its followers with pure leaf, organic offerings. Pear Ginger is a distinctive mixture of smooth black tea, sweet pear, spicy ginger and refreshing calendula flower petals, perfect for a rejuvenating, crisp iced tea.
Portland’s chic tea master presents a new lineup just in time for summer: iced tea blends. Pacific Lemongrass (Blend No. 66) adds citrus and chamomile and a pinch of peppermint to the main ingredient for a thirst-quenching, caffeine-free explosion of flavor. Other delicious varieties will make you salivate, as well.
