Apothecary Teas sells loose leaf teas, both herbal and the various types of tea proper. Sizes available start from samples and go to 7 oz bags. Flavors range from well known green tea compounds to unique herbal mixtures. I learned of Apothecary Teas through 3PAC, and this episode includes an interview with the owner.
With the pandemic I have revived my pot of tea a day habit (now I am at home long enough to enjoy it). I admit to a bit of tea snobbery. I prefer loose leaf because it is less waste than tea bags, and I have taken a few herbalism classes but don’t consider myself anything more than a dabbler.
I was excited to see many mixtures with white tea, my favorite of the “tea” types. It is much harder to find than black or green tea. I have a caffeine addiction, am trying to cut down on my sugar, and hate the taste of coffee so tea has been my go to wake up juice to prevent caffeine headaches. The advantage of using loose leaf is you can make a cup or pot as strong as you want, and you know how much sugar is in it. Check the labels of bottles tea—most of the time the sugar rivals pop. I came to the conclusion that while there is nothing good for you in pop, tea actually has some healthy effects as long as you watch the sugar.
Apothecary Tea blends made for a purpose are well done and the ones for flavor are unique. I love fruity teas (it’s a way of getting sweetness without sugar) and the tea + fruit mixtures are wonderful. For caffeinated, my favorites are White Queen and Elder Tea. However, my favorite of all I have tried so far is the Queen of Hearts, because I love rosehips. The new Sangria that I got a sample of with my last order is now my second.
I recommend ordering 3 OZ sizes to try something out. The sample size is so small with shipping it really isn’t worth it unless you get a bunch or add a sample to a larger order. I haven’t tried any flavor I disliked, just some I wasn’t as excited about as others. The Blueberry Mojito didn’t have enough blueberry flavor for me, and mostly just tasted like tea. The Herbalist Shield has some good herbs for fighting minor illness, but was a complete hassle to clean my teapot strainer afterward.
For downsides, you do have to wait a bit for your order to ship. The website also just got overhauled and at my last order there were a few bugs that needed to be worked out. But this is all good quality tea from a small business, so it is well worth it.