Greetings Tea Lovers!

Have we got a Black Friday sale for you! Starting today and running all the way through Cyber Monday (Monday, November 30th) we will be taking 25% off everything! So sit back with a cup of your favorite SBS beverage and shop from the comfort of your own home. No crowds or traffic to deal with. Get started on your holiday shopping or pick up a special treat just for yourself...you deserve it! Simply enter the code: thanks during checkout to recieve your 25% discount.

Please let us know if you don't find everything you are looking for. Send us an email at orders@sbsteas.com and we will be happy to help in any way we can.

Happy Shopping!

Labels: beverage, black Friday, black tea, caffeine free, celebrate, chai, cocoa, coffee, deal, discount, tea, tea accessories

What would you say about a tea that is naturally caffeine-free, low in tannins, and may even prevent age-related oxidation of the brain??? This almost sounds like something that is too good to be true?? Well, guess again--it's not!!

For centuries, tea has been considered the healthy alternative to coffee. There is now increased attention to the herbal teas, or "tisanes" and the many benefits they give the health conscious consumer.

One new tisane being studied is Rooibos. (pronounced "roy-boss") Rooibos is known as the red tea or the red bush tea because of the color of the needle like leaves which grow on bushes exclusively in the Cedarburg Mountains of the Cape of South Africa. With a slightly fruity, sweet taste, this tisane brews a liquor that is naturally caffeine-free and has been used for centuries by South Africans for it's legendary healing properties. It is a wonderful healing herb known as Aspalathus linearis. Like green and black tea, this herbal tea is high in antioxidants that may prevent cancers, strokes, and heart disease. Rich in vitamins, flavonoids, and minerals like magnesium, calcium, and potassium, the popularity of Rooibos is growing rapidly. Some studies suggest that Rooibos has significant amounts of Vitamin C. What we do know is that it contains more polyphenols than green tea.

It's credited with easing headaches and another highly reported benefit has been the management of allergies like hayfever, asthma, and eczema. It has a soothing effect on the skin when applied directly, giving relief for diaper rash and other skin irritations, and even sunburn. Drinking Rooibos promotes healthy skin, too. Maybe it is because Rooibos contains zinc and alphahydroxy acid.

The red bush tisane is also thought to be soothing to expectant mothers and colicky infants. Studies have shown that Rooibos contains anti-spasmodic agents, which can relieve stomach cramping and colic in infants.

Rooibos is a wonderful bedtime drink and is reccomended for people suffering from disturbed sleeping patterns, insomnia, nervous tension, mild depression and hypertension, as it contains no caffeine and has a soothing effect on the central nervous system. Laboratory studies have found that Rooibos tea contains significant amounts of polyphenol antioxidants, including flavonoids and phenoic acids. These antioxidants play an important role in preventing age-related oxidative damage as well as damage caused by free radicals. Green Rooibos is said to have 10 times more Aspalatin, which is a flavonoid found only in Rooibos.

It is popular among athletes as a source of fluid replacement and is documented to provide measurable amounts of minerals and electrolytes. Rooibos is used by South African athletes as a sports drink. Because Rooibos is caffeine-free, it is a wonderful beverage for people of all ages, and is especially refreshing and thirst quenching during the hot humid months of summer.

Research shows that Rooibos has more antioxidants than Green tea. The longer you brew Rooibos, the stronger the antioxidants become. The infusion will not become bitter even if you brew it for more than 4-10 minutes.

But there's more to Rooibos than just tea! You can use it in all kinds of drinks, appetizers, dinners, desserts, and more! Prepared Rooibos tea can replace the liquid in any recipe. Simply replace water with brewed Rooibos tea-for best results double the amount of tea you use to brew (two bags per cup of water) When baking your favorite bread try adding prepared Rooibos tea instead of water. When cooking meat, Rooibos is a natural tenderizer. Soups, stews and sauces can be color and flavor enhanced by Rooibos.

Here is a recipe for a Rooibos Cooler:

Ingredients:
1-2 Tablespoons Rooibos
1 Quart Water
1 small orange studded with about 8 cloves

Preparation:
Roll orange on flat surface or microwave for a few seconds to free the juice and then stick the cloves in the orange.
Steep the tea for at least 4 minutes and put in a glass container that is at least one quart in size
Add the studded orange and let all cool overnight
Refrigerate when the liquid has cooled sufficiently
Chill well and serve in iced tea glasses with a slice of orange and a stick of cinnamon if you like.

Rooibos has increased in popularity not only because of all the great things it can do for your health but it is also good to drink.

The next time you are looking for the perfect drink to quench your thirst or for a soothing cup of tea to help you relax, give Rooibos a try. Red, Green, flavored or plain, Rooibos is a special treat from nature that has all the right stuff.

Labels: beverage, black tea, caffeine free, cinnamon, coffee, green tea, organic, Rooibos, tannins, tea, teas, tisane, white tea

Greetings Coffee Lovers!

Just recently we introduced our new Tea Sippers Club that is set to begin next month. That got me thinking that we could and should do the same thing for our coffee lovers. Each month we will send our members one or two samples of new coffee flavors or varieties FREE and all we ask in return is that you give us your honest feedback. We will be interested in finding out what you did and did not like about the coffees and if we should bring them into our regular line. I have had a lot of fun sampling many, many coffees to bring to you all and now you can join in on the fun too! You can choose from regular or decaffeinated when you sign up for the club. If this sounds like fun and you would be interested in joining, send me an email at: sharon@sbsteas.com so I can send you some more information about our exciting new group!

This is a wonderful way to learn more about the vast world of coffee as well as find some new favorites! I hope to hear from you soon!

Happy Grinding

Labels: beverage, blog, caffeine free, coffee, deal, fair trade, fun, sbsteas.com

SBS Teas is getting ready to launch a Tea Sippers Club. Each month we will send you 1 or 2 new teas to sip. Descriptions of these teas will be included. What do we want in return for sending you these free samples?? We ask you to provide us with your input and comments about the teas--what did you like or not like about them. Were they something you would buy on a regular basis? We want to know about your preferences and tasting experiences. Also, we would like to provide you with insight and more opportunities to try different varieties of tea. This will help you expand your tasting pleasure and hopefully give you the opportunity to choose some new favorites. If you would like to join our Tea Sippers Club please email me Barbara@sbsteas.com and we will get back in touch with you about all the details.

Till we sip together again.

Labels: beverage, black tea, caffeine free, chai, drink, Rooibos, sbsteas.com, tannins, tea, teas, white tea

Iced tea is quite a popular drink in the US. Of the 2.2 billion gallons of tea consumed in the US it is estimated that 85% of it is consumed as iced tea.
It is widely speculated that iced tea was made widely popular when it was introduced at the World’s Fair in St. Louis in 1904. The East Indian Pavilion at the fair was serving hot tea to fairgoers.
No one was trying any of the samples because it was an extremely hot day and people were looking for cold beverages.
The director of the pavilion had the idea of icing down the hot tea and served it to the fairgoers that way.
Everyone who tried some loved it and word spread about a new way to enjoy this healthy beverage. The fair did help to
make the iced drink very popular and as the fair goers went home they spread the word about how delicious and refreshing the iced they drank at the fair had been.
By the time WW ! began people were buying special tall glasses called iced tea glasses and long spoons for stirring.
During prohibition iced tea continued to gain popularity as people had to find alternatives to beer, wine and alcohol.
Iced tea is so beloved in the South that it is often called “House Wine of the South.”

In 1904 the tea bag was invented by a merchant in Boston because he saw a need for people who were having ato deal with ta leaves. Bags are sstill popular for their convenience but many people appreciate the higher quality of the loose tea leaves for brewing.

This month, SBS Teas has dropped the price on ALL of our Iced Teas by 20%. Now you can enjoy this refreshing treat and stock up before the chilly fall months. The discount has already been taken so go ahead and start shopping!

http://www.sbsteas.com/Iced-Tea-c-295.html

Happy Sipping!

Labels: beverage, black tea, caffeine free, discount, drink, green tea, teas, white tea

Inquiring minds want to know about lemons.......

There has been much written lately about how contaminated lemon slices or wedges can be buzzing with bacteria when dining out. A 2008 restaurant study finding lemon wedges covered with disease-causing bacteria is yet another reason to be concerned. Contaminated lemons in restaurants were top-of-mind last year after a video clip circulated worldwide with more than 7 million combined hits on HealthInspection.com and YouTube. A sample of lemons taken from various restaurants found that 77 percent had disease-causing bacteria with at least 25 different micro-organisms identified, ranging from germs that cause staph infections to fecal bacteria. Lemon Study
Please be cautious when asking for lemons in your tea or water when dining out.
Now you know the rest of the story.

Labels: beverage, black tea, caffeine free, drink, green tea, herbal infusion, lemon, organic, Rooibos, teas, white tea

Labels: beverage, caffeine free, celebration, cinnamon, coffee, drink, fall, fun, ghosts, Halloween, holiday, love, october, product, pumpkin, sbsteas.com, spooky

Did you know: Tea is the second most popular beverage in the world next to water?
Tea was discovered by accident nearly 5000 years ago?
Tea contains naturally occurring plant compounds that may be good for your health?
Like fruits, vegtables and other plant-based foods, tea has been shown in numerous studies to have significant health benefits. These benefits may be the result of the naturally occurring compounds in tea called flavonoids, which have antioxidant properties. In the body, antioxidants are believed to work to neutralize harmful molecules called free radicals which, over time, can damage cells and tissues and contribute to chronic diseases. Tea appears to have silmilar or higher antioxidant power than many fruits and vegtables.
Also, a serving of tea contains less than half the caffeine of an equal size serving of coffee. Of course, this depends upon the blends and strength of the tea brew. But, this is encouraging news for those of us trying to limit our caffeine consumption.
According to legend, the custom of drinking tea began around 2737 BC when some tea leaves accidentally blew into a pot of boiling water belonging to the Chinese Emperor Sheen Nung.
So, lets brew a cup of SBS tea and join folks around the world who love their tea.

Labels: beverage, black tea, caffeine free, drink, green tea, herbal infusion, honeybush, red bush, tea, teas, white tea

Africa's Miracle Rooibos Tea

After attending the Tea Expo in Atlanta last month I came away with a greater appreciation for Rooibos tea. Actually, Rooibos tea is not a "tea" but rather a certified organic herbal infusion. It is grown in the Cedarberg Mountains in the North Western part of the Cape Province of South Africa. The word Rooibos literally means red bush. Rooibos is harvested by hand and then chopped by a machine. During the entire harvesting process, oxidation occurs, which results in the tea becoming a deep rich red rust color. Once the tea is dry it is collected, heat sterilized and sifted into different grades.


We, at SBS Teas, are marketing the certified organic Rooibos and Honeybush teas from the company Africa's Miracle. Their entire tea harvesting operation is pure and natural. It uses no colorants or preservatives. All of the Africa's Miracle Red Tea Blends are grown and packaged in the Republic of South Africa providing critical jobs. All plant workers are unionized and receive free medical care. The company is creating greater value across the board for all of their workers than any comparable Fair Trade product.


In the US they are continuing their work with the Artists For A New South Africa (http://www.ansafrica.org/) to bring awareness to the AIDS crisis and other critical issues in South Africa. Africa's Miracle is also helping to support rural pre-school projects in Africa.


Below is a partial listing of how Rooibos and Honeybush may have a positive impact on your health:


*Strong antioxidant action

*Naturally rich in minerals

*May help prevent some cancers

*Soothing--great for insomniacs and nursing mothers

*Great for tummy troubles

*Naturally caffeine free

*Low in tannins

As I mentioned before, I have become a Rooibos fan.

I encourage you to try these new products.

Labels: beauty, black tea, caffeine free, fair trade, herbal infusion, honeybush, organic, red bush, Rooibos, South Africa, tannins