The Process

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There are two ways that my tea blends come to be. The first is with a craving. I generally know what I like and will start to crave certain ingredients or flavors that I will then sit down with and start blending until it's right. The second way is by some sort of inspiration. This could be a season, a feeling, a mood, or even a single ingredient that has recently captured my attention. Once I have this seed of an idea, I will sit down with the entire inventory and just start to play, adding a little bit of this and a little bit of that until the vision becomes clear. 

Taste is, of course, the core of every blend. I love to explore different flavors, looking for the perfect balance, whether it's a hint of sweetness from dried fruits, a touch of earthiness from herbs, or the subtle floral notes of petals. I always taste each of my blends when I come to the end of the process to make sure that this dance of balance works the way I am intending it to.

But for me, it's not just about flavor; it's about crafting an experience. The visual aspect of the blends play a crucial role as well. I will often put the mostly complete tea into a vial, looking to see if the tea's appearance in the container creates the aesthetic that complements the taste. If the image of the blend doesn't match the vibe I'm imagining for the tea, I go back to the mix and add a little bit more of something colorful to bring the beauty to the surface.

Beyond the sensory appeal, there is a deeper layer to my process: the meaning and energy of each ingredient. I consider the purpose of the blend—whether it’s meant to calm the mind, invigorate the spirit, or bring about a sense of clarity—and choose ingredients that resonate with that intention. You will often see rose petals (love and romance), mints (somehow both invigorating and calming), and citrus (a jolt of inspiration) in my blends. I have an entire library of correspondences that I pull from to round out the intentions of each one.

The entire process feels like a conversation between the ingredients and me, a dialogue of flavors, scents, colors, and meanings. As the blend comes together, and I am getting to a place where it feels complete, I will often sit with the blend to find it's name. The names are often inspired by Mythology, Literature, and the intended purpose. Sometimes names will come to me that I never would have expected and then I will look into that name to see if it even matches the story I want to tell with the ingredients. Somehow it always seems to be the perfect choice.