Seattle Pockets

Remedy Teas brew happiness on Capitol Hill + Giveaway

In a city that’s known for it’s obsession with coffee, I’m a bit of a rebel.  It’s not coffee in my mug that makes me smile, it’s tea. Recently, I’ve had the pleasure of discovering Remedy Teas on Capitol Hill. My first introduction was when my friend, Alida, gifted me with a couple blends to help me through a tough time. Her blend choices were Tranquility (chamomile, mint and rooibos) and Deep Sleep – (a beautiful blend, packed with powerful Valerian root and kava kava).  It was a fantastic gift. Then I noticed another friend, James, checked in online at Remedy Teas on Capitol Hill all the time, so I decided I needed to check out this place for myself.

The place is cozy, with chartreuse walls and 150 different types of organic loose leaf tea blends. The staff is incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. Remedy Teas (open every day 7am -11pm at 345 15th Ave E in Capitol Hill) is bright and cheerful, but not overly so – a perfect calm, community shop that will add a little brightness to any rainy day (plus wifi for those of us that need it). After pouring over their cheat sheet of different blends (with categories such as organic rooibos teas, organic wellness teas, organic oolong teas and so on), we picked out a couple blends for gifts and got some suggestions (based on our interests and tastes) from the staff.  The way they serve the tea is pretty special as well.  You get a clear tea pot, so you can see the color of your tea, which sits atop a tea candle to keep it warm.  They also provide you with a personal timer that will let you know when your tea is done steeping and ready to drink!

On mornings when I’m dragging a little bit too much, I turn to fruity, oolong peach-like Jade Oz or antioxidant-rich Jasmine Blue. It’s not just the taste, herbal properties and caffeine that get me through the morning, it’s the aromas that really help put me in a good mood and get energized to take on the day.  I love to use tea filters that let me check out the way the tea looks before and after, as many elements of tea will “bloom” after you add hot water.

My favorite time of day, however, to turn to a cup of tea is after dinner or just before bed. There’s something calming and grounding about creating a tea ritual for yourself. It’s a way of taking a breath and saying “Right now is ME time.”  For many, enjoying a cup of tea, sitting quietly with it and enjoying the aroma and taste can be almost meditative.  And if you’re lucky enough to have a blend like Red Satin –  Remedy’s creation of rooibos blended with cacao nibs, peppermint and vanilla – it can be reminiscent of a decadent favorite dessert (without the calories – bonus)!

Word to those just getting into loose teas: a lot of tea ball strainers have holes that are too large for the finer tea blends – I suggest getting a filter with very small holes so that you don’t have to worry about getting pieces of the tea in your mug – Remedy tea has a great one for sale at their store and online, here. There are also biodegradable tea bags you can buy as well.

When I was at the tea counter watching the server weigh my selection, I mentioned to Brandon that my friend James came there quite often. Our server perked up and smiled, knowing exactly who I was talking about. “This is kind of his second home,” she said.  I had to email him to find out why he loved Remedy Teas and here was his response:

“The interesting question is not to ask whether Remedy Teas is one of the best tea shops in Seattle, but to ask whether Remedy Teas is one of the best tea shops in North America. I could not find a tea place like Remedy in New York City, and as a tea freak I tried hard to find one.  So that suggests to me that their real competition is hard to find.  Few places have as diverse selection of teas, and then how many of those are organic?  Very very few. Remedy really does a good job in steeping the tea right whether it be white, green, black, mate, rooibos,  pu-erh or herbal.  Different types of tea need different types of steeps with different temperature water and they do this well.” (For those of us not in-the-know about different temperatures, they mark the ideal temperature for each blend right on the bag!)  James continued, “Anthony has a great gift for making new blends.  The Chai Pu-Erh is tea genius.  It should be mentioned that they have some fantastic smoothies where some serious tea alchemy is happening.  I am not vegan but they have forever opened my mind about vegan baked good.  Some mighty good vegan and even gluten free cookies and such.” Thanks James!

Deep Sleep blend – so pretty!

I strongly suggest you visit Remedy Tea – take a look at their menu and find some teas that appeal to you…and ask the staff for their advice of what you should try, based on your interests and flavors you’re drawn to!  They have some great 2012 harvest teas they’ll be releasing all Spring and Summer as well.  

Cup feeling empty? Want to win one of FOUR sampler packs that Remedy Tea has graciously gifted to the readers of this blog? Here’s how you can enter to win (you can enter both ways):

On the blog: Post a comment below of a type of Remedy Tea (name & number) that looks delicious to you

On Twitter? Follow @keridwyn and @tweetremedyteas , then tweet “ I want to win @tweetremedyteas from @keridwyn #seattlepockets giveaway http://bit.ly/J7QmAm ” 

You can find Remedy Teas on Twitter and Facebook.


31 comments

  1. 133 Spice of Life and 62 the House Chai are two of my favorites. I love the spicy warmness of both especially on the cool rainy Seattle days – they are sunshine in a glass for this transplant.

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  2. I’m a huge fan of remedy teas in Seattle – sadly I live on the east coast now but continue to order online and gift remedy teas to friends as much as possible. I’m eager to try new blends with rose but after a quick peak on the site I’d have to say 12 Blue Hawaii looks particularly delicious. Every remedy tea I’ve tried with coconut or coco nibs knocks me off my feet. Plus have you seen their instagram! Beauty in each tea loving shot.

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  3. I love Earl Grey Creme 72 andI’d love to try Jasmine Blue 24. The blueberries mixed with Jasmine flowers sound like a great summer tea.

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  6. I always have loved tranquility, almond mate (previously called vanilla nut mate), and silk and citrus! (not quite sure on the numbers because they are ever changing!)

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  7. Definitely Blue Hawaii #12. If I can’t make it to the islands, this certainly will transport me there in a flash on a cold, wet Pacific Northwest day. Add a little Island music, a staycation for sure!

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  10. I ♥ Remedy Teas! Some of my favorite teas there are Blue Hawaii, Silk & Citrus, & Red Satin. I really want to try 96 Ancient Tree Raw…I am intrigued by the description: “A luxurious tea harvested from ancient tea trees in the old growth forests of China. Tribes continue to harvest this tea from ancient trees as their ancestors did centuries ago. The leaves from tea trees planted over 1000 years ago for a brisk, energizing delicious cup with honey-like taste.”

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  11. I ♥ Remedy Teas! Some of my current favorites are Blue Hawaii, Silk & Citrus, Red Satin, & Coconut Lav. I want to try 96 Ancient Tree Raw. I am intrugued by the description: A luxurious tea harvested from ancient tea trees in the old growth forests of China. Tribes continue to harvest this tea from ancient trees as their ancestors did centuries ago. The leaves from tea trees planted over 1000 years ago for a brisk, energizing delicious cup with honey-like taste.”

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  15. I love Remedy Teas, it is one of my favorite spots in Seattle. I have taken many friends there who were impressed with the selection of teas and delicious sandwiches! One of my favorites is #71 Earl Grey Bouquet. Earl Grey and Lavender is such a perfect combination – very soothing for rainy days like today!

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  17. I’ve never been here before, but now I think we’ll try and stop in. I think I’d like to try #27 Mo Rockin Mint because I’m a big fan of mint tea.

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  18. Some days are just tea days – and that’s when I turn to Remedy. I try not to have the same tea twice. WonderWoman (#139) sounds like a good combination, as does silk & citrus (#49).

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  20. I couldn’t agree with you more about little rituals when it comes to centering yourself and getting back to ground zero. I typically have a tea right before bed to relax. Whether it’s watching a movie, reading my book, or getting caught up online, a cup of tea or two is the perfect remedy for going to sleep peacefully.

    As for the science you apparently have down with the various types of teas, I’m comprehensively lost.

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  21. I love Remedy Teas! Everything in there is so special. I also love the little vials of tea lining the walls that you fan open and smell. It’s pretty cool to check out all the options. I usually buy my father his Christmas present from Remedy, and get him cool tea accessories and tea. I think the Earl Grey Creme #72 is his fave. I always try something different and will have to check out that Red Satin one next time.

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  22. Remedy Teas is fantastic. My favorites are Deep Sleep (perfect for Sunday night get-me-ready-for-Monday insomnia) and CocoNight – a full, rich, black tea that takes me right to the tropics. I was just there yesterday and bought some of their Guava White Tea (I haven’t tried it yet).

    Their customer service is as good as their tea is delicious. I ordered a mate blend online that was ultimately not available, along with another tea that was. The owner called me up to apologize for the mixup and not only had the other tea in the order HAND DELIVERED to me (I live in Seattle), but they threw in a little something extra to apologize. That commitment to service has made me a loyal customer.

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  24. I’d have to say, I’ve tried most of the teas I wanted to there. But I haven’t tried 17, Peach N Peony, and I bet it’s good.

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