Elixir Fine Tea

2010 Resolution?

If you have made a new year resolution to be healthier in 2010 and drink more tea, that's fantastic. However, the different types of tea, the varying steeping methods, what teapots to use, what temperature for what tea ..... all can be daunting. We can cut through all these by simply choosing teas that taste good to you. Nevermind if the tea is a Silver Needle from a certain mountain peak or if it is a Dragonwell from West Lake, China or a Gyokuro from Uji. If you deem the tea to be delicious, then keep it. Otherwise, keep exploring and sampling.
You will likely drink a tea that tastes good to you more often than an "exotic" tea that does not appeal to your taste buds. This way you will enjoy tea more often and the benefits of tea will accumulate.
Drink Tea and Be Well.

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Upcoming Events

Our Wulong Tasting Night in December 2009 was a great success, however we did not have enough chairs to accommodate everyone, therefore we request that you RSVP in advance.

Japanese Green Tea Tasting Night
Friday, January 29, 6-7PM
Cost: $10 per person
We will be tasting 5 Japanese green teas, including hands on preparation of Matcha, and of course, our savoury treats.
RSVP to 403-270-7444 or info@elixirfinetea.ca

Introduction to Reflexology with Michelle Major
Friday, February 5, 7- 8PM
Cost: $10 per person
RSVP to 403-968-9544 or whaw@telus.net

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News

More Savoury Treats are here. We have expanded our offering to include french pastries from:

Treats like:

Guimauve Lollipop ( Chocolate Marshmallow Lollipops )
Jasmine or Orange-water Macarons
Rose-Raspberry Demi-Sec
Coconut Moelleux .... and many more .... are HERE in Kensington.

However, the full dazzling and yummy selection of Yann's patisseries can be found at their boutique at:

329 - 23rd Ave SW, Calgary
Tel: (430) 244 - 8091

We will continue to offer raw, savoury treats from Trav Hawkins, formerly co-founder of Divine Dinning.

Michelle Major, reflexologist, from Willow Health and Wellness has joined us in our store.
For appointments call 403-968-9544.

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Tea of the Month

Oriental Beauty House
Oriental Beauty is grown naturally and without pesticides. High quality picking is
usally a bud and an open leaf, from bushes that have been bitten by the Chinese
green leaf cicada. The combination of insect saliva and chemicals produced as a
defense mechanism by the plant to produce fruity and honey notes.
Enjoy 15% off bulk purchase of 50 grams or more all month long!

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Frequently Asked Questions

"Does this tea have caffeine?"
We get this question often from customers.
All tea, whether white, green, black, wulong or pu-erh, come from the same plant called Camellia Sinensis. Therefore all Camellia Sinensis teas have caffeine.

What about, for example, peppermint tea, or rooibos tea?
Even though we have traditionally use the term "peppermint tea", peppermint is from the peppermint plant and not from Camellia Sinensis. So peppermint tea is not truely a tea.We can call it an infusion or a tisane or simply a herbal drink. Peppermint is caffeine free, as is rooibos. Likewise, rooibos is not truely a tea.

Does this tea have more caffeine than that?
Caffeine content in tea depends on many factors. While most consumers desire a simple and absolute answer, trying to determine and compare caffeine content in teas is somewhat more involved. Most people assume that black tea has more caffeine than green and that a lighter, more floral flavour tea has less caffeine than a stronger flavour one. Caffeine level depends on many factors including plant varietal, growing region, weather, tea-to-water ratio, water temperature, steep time, younger leaves vs older leaves, .... or we can just use an all encompassing term - the "terroir". So please excuse if we cannot categorically say tea A has more caffeine than B or drink C, it will not keep you awake.
If you have concerns with caffeine, enjoy tea earlier in the day and see. However, at the risk of being insensitive, it's puzzling how people generally associate not sleeping with caffeine. Inherent in the tea plant and only in the tea plant (and one non-edible mushroom) is an amino acid called L-theanine. L-theanine enters into our brain and enhance relaxation and reduce stress. Therefore one might think that it would be easier to fall asleep from a relaxed state induced by drinking tea!