PINEY - FRESH - GROUNDING
Pacific Forest
Pacific Forest
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Inspired by the essence of Vancouver Island, this piney and lightly sweet elixir of black tea, wild foraged Douglas fir needles, and nettle is grounding and crisp.
Stroll through just about any park on Vancouver Island and you are likely to see a Douglas fir. The most common evergreen tree in Southern British Columbia, it adapts to its environment - short and scraggly, clinging to a rocky seaside slope subject to the wicked West Coast wind, or majestically towering over the rural-urban landscape as it reaches upward toward 90 meters (300 feet). Regardless, its branches and twigs are covered by soft green needles that smell like grapefruit when crushed in the palm of your hand. In spring and early summer, the bright green tips can be carefully harvested and turned into tea. Here, we're combining them with nettle - a common West Coast plant that you definitely do not want to cozy up next to! - and a beautifully crisp blend of black teas from Sri Lanka's high-elevation growing regions.
The result is a light to medium-bodied amber liquor with notes of pine, citrus, florals, and a light sweetness. The tea lingers softly on the palate and provides a grounded feeling in the body. A perfect mid-morning weekend tea. Take time to pause and steep the calm of the Pacific Forest into your day.
Due to the seasonality of the forests here on Vancouver Island, this tea is available from May through July and then until our stock of needles runs out.
Q&A with Bree, founder and tea artist
Q&A with Bree, founder and tea artist
Q: How do you harvest the Douglas Fir needles?
A:
Located on Vancouver Island, we are fortunate to have many Douglas Fir trees in our own backyard (almost literally!). Most of the needles we harvest come from our very own neighbourhood. We are careful to harvest only a little from each tree, never taking from the leader on a branch, which would impede the growth of the tree. We leave enough time between harvests to allow for the trees to recover from their pruning and we avoid trees that appear stressed to allow them to use all their energy to recover their vitality. After harvest, the needles are washed and dehydrated until they 'snap', evidence that sufficient water has been removed and they're ready for blending. It's a labour of love but worth it!
Q: Since this tea is only available seasonally, how should I store it to maintain its freshness if I want to enjoy it or gift it later in the year?
A:
Our wood cellulose bags do a great job at keeping moisture and oxygen out of the tea, but once opened I recommend transferring the tea to a metal, ceramic or glass container with a tight-fitting lid (see the instructions on the inside of the label). Store the tea in a cupboard that is cool and dark. If you're planning on gifting later in the year, any cool dry place will do.
Ingredients
Ingredients
Black tea*, Douglas fir needles^, nettle*.
*Certified organic ingredient.
^Responsibly wild-harvested.
Steeping instructions
Steeping instructions
Pour 1 cup boiling water over 1.5 to 2 tsp tea. Cover to retain the beautiful aromatics and steep 3-5 minutes.
Packaging
Packaging
All teas (except for storage tin option) come packaged in bags made from wood and are home compostable. Learn more.
Wrap labels are printed on Forest Stewardship Council certified paper and secured using non-toxic adhesives.
Tins are reusable (hand wash only) and curb-side recyclable in most municipalities.
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