It
was in Moscow, where temperatures in winter don’t
get much above zero, that Stephanie Profitt would visit banyas
(traditional Russian bathhouses) to find relief for her winter-worn
skin and the stresses of her job in the new, post-Soviet democracy. With a team of skin care experts, Serge and Stephanie have created an extensive line of amazing products that combine the therapeutic benefits of coffee with other healing ingredients such as olive and hemp seed oils, shea butter, sea salt, and other herbal extracts. Their unique products can be used everyday to revitalize tired and dull skin by reducing the effects of oxidation, sunlight, and pollution.
|
The thought of drinking tea at a summer barbeque might not be your idea of refreshing. But what if the tea wasn’t hot? What if it wasn’t iced like traditional teas? What if it was uniquely brewed, handcrafted, crisp, cool, and totally satisfying? What if you learned that it didn’t come from a teapot at all? What if it was in the form of a craft beer?
Introduced in September 2006 by the award-winning BluCreek Brewery in Madison Wisconsin, the Zen IPA is an English-style Pale Ale created with a mouth-watering blend of fresh Chinook, Cascade, and Centennial hops infused with an invigorating all-natural green tea. “With the success of our award-winning Blueberry Ale, we realized that craft beer drinkers were interested in a healthier alternative, and the health benefits of green tea are undisputed,”said Runi Hadiprajitno, Co-Owner of BluCreek Brewing. BluCreek found that beer drinkers, those who enjoyed the specialty beers (often referred to as microbrews), were interested in something that offered a benefit for the body in addition to great taste. BluCreek had another hit with its green tea beer. The Wisconsin locals flocked to this new green tea brew, showing praise for BluCreek and their bold and creative concepts. Local retailers and national chains like Whole Foods stood up, took notice, and have stocked the popular brews. The Zen green tea IPA “is a beer that transcends beyond anything you have ever experienced before, the smooth and subtle green tea aroma and taste perfectly compliment the refreshing crispness of an English IPA” said Hadiprajitno. “The result will satisfy those who are looking for something more mystical... magical...wonderful” she added. Distribution is limited but growing. For more information about the BluCreek Zen IPA (or their Blueberry Ale) visit www.blucreek.com. For coffee lovers, try the coffee infused ale called Espresso Stout from Southampton Ales & Lagers (www.southamptonbrewery.com). |
-
Tea for Every Body - It’s name doesn’t necessarily roll off your tongue but it’s passion and commitment to helping others will certainly touch your heart. Just Different Specialty Tea Company, located in San Diego, California, is different. In addition to producing outstanding tea brands using the highest quality USDA certified organic and all natural teas and infusions, they also aim to educate, entertain, and enlighten us all. Just Different Specialty Tea Company is a tea business pioneer and trendsetter, creating and developing fun, healthy and socially conscience tea brands while it generously donates to enable research and raise awareness for HIV-AIDS, childhood obesity, and prostate cancer.
“Recent studies strongly suggest EGCG, a powerful antioxidant found most abundantly in green tea may help prevent HIV infection,” said Kenny. “We were the first tea company to acknowledge this potential with our Rainbow Pride Tea brand and I hope the continued research on EGCG further confirms the results of the original studies” he said. Earlier this year, it was announced that the Rainbow Pride Premium Tea launched it’s new website (www.rainbowpridetea.com) and that $1.00 from every package sold through this website will be donated to HIV-AIDS research and awareness programs. Along with creating Tea For Kids, Captain Teao also serves as a healthy role model, a positive educator and advocate of healthy choices for kids. Five delicious flavors are currently available: Mango Madness, Orangie Orange, Very, Very Vanilla, Lip-Licking Lemon, and Peachy Keen Peach. (www.teaforkids.com)
Today, more than a dozen varieties of Tea For Men are available and $1.00 of every package of Tea for Men bought at www.teaformen.com will be donated to prostate cancer research and awareness programs. "I take great pride in guiding and directing my company to create, develop and launch new, exciting and socially conscious tea brands,” said Kenny. Please click on the following links to find out more and make a difference: www.jdtea.com, www.rainbowpridetea.com, www.teaforkids.com, www.teaformen.com |
- Book Buzz - Tea in the City: New York A Tea-Lover’s Guide to Sipping and Shopping in the City Written by Elizabeth Knight Photographs by Bruce Richardson “Tea
lovers, rejoice! From grand hotels to humble
dim sum parlors, this concise, colorful book offers a definitive
guide to the best places serving your favorite beverage. Its
lively text and lovely photos make it a joy just to
peruse.”
Tea in the City: New York opens with a brief and interesting history lesson about how New York was influenced by, and in turn influenced, the world of tea. It then dissects Manhattan (plus its three neighboring boroughs) and reports on their most notable teahouses and teashops--celebrating its many influential cultures. The book finishes with a chapter called “To Tea or Not To Tea”—a refresher course on the various ways, brews, and times to enjoy relaxing cuppa. Whether you’re looking for Matcha on Madison, Honeybush on Houston or Bocha on Broadway look to Tea in the City: New York to be your guide. This book, with its beautiful photos by Bruce Richardson, makes a great gift for any tea-lover living in or longing to visit New York.
Elizabeth Knight is a former tea sommelier for the historic St. Regis Hotel and is the author of several best selling books on the subjects of tea and entertaining including Tea with Friends and Welcome Home. She writes for magazines such as Romantic Homes, Tea & Coffee Asia, and Tea A Magazine. Elizabeth is a frequent guest on national television and radio programs including WNBC’s "Today in New York," WOR’s "Food Talk," The Travel Channel, The Home Shopping Network and QVC. Published
by Benjamin Press. April 2006. Paperback. 114
pages, 130 color photographs. $18.95. ISBN 0966347870.
Copies can be purchased at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders
or at www.teawithfriends.com. |
- Coffee & Tea Festival: NYC - April 12-13, 2008 Don't
miss the
3rd Annual Coffee & Tea
Festival: NYC in 2008! CALL FOR 2008 EXHIBITOR INFORMATION. 631-957-7035
|
“For centuries, Russians have brought their tired and worn bodies to
the banyas for rejuvenation and healing,” said Profitt. She recalls
that coffee grounds were used to gently exfoliate pore-clogging dead skin cells,
while their natural essential oils were used to soothe and moisturize the skin. “For
me, the experience of putting coffee on my body was something special and I
wanted to share it with others” she added. So in 2002, she and
her husband, Serge, started the Oakland California company called BODYCOFFEE®. 
Among
the company’s top sellers is the invigorating BodyPolish
that exfoliates dead skin cells, draws impurities from the body,
and softens the skin. Here’s why people find this scrub
so irresistible: the coffee grounds improve mirco-circulation
and reduce the appearance of cellulite; the dead sea salts, magnesium,
and potassium detoxify your skin, improve cell metabolism, and generate
new cell growth; the peppermint oil cools and refreshes tired muscles;
and the citrus, rosemary and mint extracts awaken the senses and
calm the mind. Other bestsellers include the Coffee Blossom
Body Lotion, the energizing Body Bar glycerin soap, and the JavaBalm
for lips.
Craft
brewers produce flavorful beers that combine classic European recipes
with bold American innovation. “America’s
small brewers are part of a movement, a shift in consciousness, and
the trading up of what beer people drink,” stated Julia Herz,
a spokesperson for the Brewers Association, the not-for-profit trade
association for America’s small brewers. This is definitely
true of BluCreek Brewing.
In
2003 “we were honored and proud to introduce the Rainbow
Pride Premium Tea brand as a way to honor a very close friend and
co-worker who died from AIDS,” said Frank Kenny, Founder and
CEO of Just Different Specialty Tea Company. “The purpose
for developing the Rainbow Pride Tea”, he added “is to
raise funds and donate money for research and awareness programs
dedicated to finding a cure for HIV and AIDS.”
Frank
Kenny is passionate about helping others. Maybe you have
seen him flying around the country donning his Captain Teao costume
on his crusade to end childhood obesity. Captain Teao™ is
a fun loving superhero on a mission to help kids fight the effects
of childhood obesity, heart disease and type II diabetes. While on
his mission Captain Teao invented Tea For Kids as a great tasting,
healthy and refreshing alternative to high calorie and sugar loaded
sodas and fruit juices. Unlike sodas and juices Tea For Kids contains
no sugar or caffeine and is loaded with antioxidants, vitamins and
minerals.
Tea
For Men Tea was created to acknowledge a close friend who, at the
young age of 48 had radical prostate surgery. “My
friend Ted made several lifestyle changes—changed his diet,
found ways to reduce stress through meditation and yoga, and he made
tea his beverage of choice. Ted was convinced the EGCG and antioxidant
properties in tea helps him stay strong and in control of his cancer.
And that’s how the idea for Tea For Men was born,” said
Frank Kenny.
Part
history lesson, part shopping guide, part guided tour of the
most amazing tea shops, Tea in the City: New York is
a tea-lovers dream come true. Don’t let the slender
size fool you, this guidebook is packed with an exhaustive amount
of tea-related essentials—including a highlights of 89 tearooms
in Manhattan and another 12 in the boroughs of the Bronx, Queens,
and Brooklyn.
About
the Author:
