The State of Dryad 2013 - Announcements

Just a few "announcements" for all of Dryad Tea's amazing fans and customers:

The following teas are going online only as of January 1st 2014: Dryad, Exodus, Kelpie, Maid in Bedlam, Paradise Lost and Shadow Grove. (If you make special arrangements we can always bring them for your order at a show.)

Also, as of January 1st, 2014 we will be raising our prices. This is something that we have fought against doing for the past year and a half, but supply costs are increasing and in order to keep the business in business (to get you the teas you love!) we are going to have to increase our prices as well. 1oz of tea will go to $6 and samples will be $2.50.

We will also be offering pre-orders of all of our SJ Tucker-inspired teas. After all of the Kickstarter rewards go out we will be announcing pre-orders on our facebook and newsletter. Pre-orders will include either an ounce or a sample (depend on which level you pick) of each of the teas. If you do not get in on the pre-order we are releasing in two volleys, so you will have to wait until February for all 19 of the blends to go live.  

Thank you all for your support through 2013, we are super excited for an amazing 2014!!!

Love,

Dryad Tea.

Inspiration: Keeper Tea

Keeper

This tea is inspired mainly by the song that Pandora Celtica sings called "The Keeper". The band jokes that this is the only happy song they sing, and that they often send it to festivals to prove that they aren't always singing about death and destruction.
Some of the lyrics: 
The keeper did a hunting go

And under his cloak he carried a bow

All for to shoot a merry little doe

Among the leaves so green-o.

Chorus:

Jackie boy (Master) Sing ye well (Very well)

Hey down (Ho down) Derry derry down

Among the leaves so green-o

To my hey down down (To my ho down down )

Hey down (Ho down) Derry derry down

Among the leaves so green-o

(Thanks to this site for the lyrics)

When I blended this tea I was thinking of green, and fresh and bright. Apple paired with mint just happened to be the perfect pairing, and I have to say that this is one of our best sellers! It's really great both hot and cold, with nothing added in.

Find it on Etsy. 

Inspiration: Maid in Bedlam

Maid in Bedlam was a song that I had the pleasure of hearing when I visited Scarborough Renaissance Festival out in Texas. I fell instantly in love with it and brought it back to Pandora Celtica with hopes that they would love it just as much.

They did.

When I started into the idea of blending teas for the music that the band sings I felt like maybe this would be any easy blend. Honestly it wasn't. Floral flavor profiles tend to be incredibly light so I had to make sure that nothing overpowered anything else. I knew that I wanted to quote the song in the tea, 

"With straw I'll weave a garland, I'll weave it very fine

With roses, lilies, daisies I'll mix the eglantine

And I'll present it to my love when he returns from sea

I love my love because I know my love loves me"

I wanted the roses, daisies and lilies to be present in the blend. Even if that meant having a representation of them instead of the actual flowers.

This was the third blend I ever successfully created.

Inspiration: ShadowCat Tea

Ah ShadowCat... To say that this blend was interesting to make is rather an understatement.

It all started when we were playing one of our gigs at the Mercury Cafe, each of us came up with our own alcoholic drinks, and ShadowCat's was very much coffee and chocolate. Now, I'm as much a fan of coffee and chocolate as the next person, but I really felt that the Prince of Dreams and Thief of Sorrows deserved something... more for his tea.

I started with a chocolate base, because who doesn't like chocolate? And from there I tried many things. Nothing really stuck... Until the raspberry. A dessert tea! 

I find that though this is a dessert type tea, it really is something you can drink anytime!

So far most people prefer it with milk (or almond milk) and honey, finding that the flavors blend wonderfully.

Find it on Etsy!

(Photo thanks to Capture by Design Photography)

Inspiration: Chemical Worker's Tea

I suppose that this is sort of the tea that started it all.

When I was first dreaming up the idea of doing teas inspired by the songs that Pandora Celtica sings I had to find a few songs that strongly spoke of what they were and exactly what was going on in them. Chemical was the first.

Often called "Process Man" this song speaks of those that worked in chemical factories, not usually a very good subject, nor is it one that you might want to drink in tea.... but I was determined to make it something that people would enjoy drinking while listening to the song.

I wanted to make a tea that reminded the drinker of smokey skies, but also warm spices, things that a chemical worker would want to drink- the stronger the better.

Blending the black tea was probably the easiest part. I wanted smoke, but also pure and strong black tea. Then there was all of the spices. I can easily say that this is a blend that is more herbs and spices than it is tea leaves. Cardamom, cinnamon and ginger are the big three in this blend, likening it to chai in a way.

You can find this tea on Etsy.