Curious Craniscus

This reserve quality herbal tea features bright hibiscus and Vancouver Island-grown cranberries alongside orange, apple, and lovely spices to give a tart and bold flavor that enlivens the senses. Although there is only a tiny bit of clove, it shines through on the finish and lingers pleasantly on the palate. Super healthy and deliciously tart, this tea is extremely versatile - enjoy it warm, turn it into a punch, or liven up cocktail hour. Any way you steep it, we invite you to enter a state of heightened vitality and feel a surge of positive emotion. Take the opportunity to connect to the present moment and let the beautiful color and aroma reflect your passion for life.

Q&A with Bree, Founder and Tea Artist:

Would you consider this to be a "fruity" tea?

Really, it depends what you mean by "fruity". This tea is 38% fruit by weight (orange, cranberry, apple) so it is for sure fruity in that sense! Taste-wise, it is more tart than sweet so it depends on what you consider to be fruity. I would say people fall about 50-50 on fruity versus not fruity exactly because of the tartness, but also because the pungent tones from the cinnamon, clove and mace do shine through.

What makes this a reserve quality herbal tea?

This tea is made from scratch using 100% real food ingredients. We source the cranberries locally from Yellowpoint Cranberry farm just outside Ladysmith, B.C. We dehydrate the cranberries from frozen in small batches and then hand crush the dried berries before blending them into the tea. It takes approximately 1 kg of fresh cranberries to make 250 g of tea! Meanwhile, we're sourcing cinnamon sticks, whole clove buds, and mace blades (all certified organic) and taking them down to a size that suits the blend, combining them with the hibiscus and cranberries, quartered organic oranges and organic apple bits. It's a labour of love, but the flavour is worth it!

A punch or cocktail hour sound fun. Can you provide some detailed suggestions for how to prepare these? Are there any recommended recipes?

The easiest "mocktail" is one of my favourites: steep the tea either at double strength (3 tsp per 250 ml or 1 cup boiling water) or regular strength and 15 minutes plus. Fill a glass with ice and pour the tea in to one-third full. Add more ice and fill in with sparkling water.

For a punch, steep at double strength (3 tsp for each cup of water plus 1.5 tsp "for the pot") for 30 minutes. Make basil simple syrup by heating 1 part water and 1 part sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add enough fresh basil leaves to pack the liquid, and let rest 15 minutes. Strain the simple syrup through a colander. Fill a punch bowl or pitcher 3/4 full with ice. Pour in the tea (use a strainer or fine cheesecloth if you haven't already strained the tea) then add basil syrup to taste. Top with ice and watch it disappear!

Or, create a Curious Craniscus syrup to amp up your favourite gin or tequila-based cocktail! You will need: 200 g (about 220 ml) sugar, 20 g (about 8 tsp) Curious Craniscus, and 250 ml water. Combine the water and sugar in a pan and heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat, add the tea and let sit for 15 to 30 minutes (longer for more pungency from the spices) and strain. Refrigerate in a clean, airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Try it in a margarita for a fun and curious twist on the classic.