Christmas at Tea Rose Garden: Winter Garden Tea Blend

 There's something magical about the holidays combined with tea. It seems to keep the whimsy of traditions past and brings the smells, glow, and dreamy ideals all into one. No other place I know gives me this feeling more than The Tea Rose Garden; a hidden jewel in Old Town Pasadena. 

I've grown to love this little shop; first as a customer and later as part of the shop family. Tea Rose Garden was my celebration after finals, where my first solo gallery was featured, and my first job after college early this year. My history now runs along with this shop. I am so blessed to have it in my life; the shop and people behind it.

In the city where the Rose Parade runs through every beginning of the year, and the town is decked with utmost splendor, Tea Rose replaces the fountain in the center of the tea room with a huge tree that graces the ceiling. Large poinsettias cover the base and the walls are decked with lights and garlands. Many families in the area make their Christmas Tea a yearly tradition. Every time I go in for a visit I'm so happy to see the friends and family sharing tea and conversations. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy to somehow be a part of this. 

Seasonal; treats come out this time of the year. The newest addition is the Chocolate Peppermint Cupcake. Finally! A holiday treat for chocolate lovers!

The famous treat that people look forward to is the Eggnog Mousse Cake. It's so light and delicate, much like a traditional Coconut Cake without the coconut shavings but replaced with thick eggnog custard. 

Another thing that comes out this time of the year is the Christmas Tea Blend. I love the bits of peppermint leaves with citrus and spices. There's also a little bit of rose in it, which is a trait with most of the mixed blends and the Tea Rose Garden.

Something new this year, which is my doing, is a new Tea Blend! Grace, the owner, asked me to try my hand at selling some of my tea blends at the shop. My debut flavor is the Winter Garden. I wanted this tea to reflect the frosty cooler side to the season. To keep with the Tea Rose Garden themes I wanted it to feel like you were walking into a garden in winter. The high notes that I chose were Cranberry, Clove and Sage. After notes I added were the light taste of Plum, Lavender, and Bergamot. Its been a hit so far, something I've been really proud of.

Helping out at Tea Rose has been taking up most of my afternoons these days. I'm glad I got to share this with those of you that have been supporting and reading this blog. Hope you're holiday doings are wonderful. 

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Sweet Tooth Teas: Tea Rose Garden

As promised, here is the second batch of my Sweet Tea Collection. The three teas I'm bringing to you are Black Teas that I feel have natural indulgent qualities because of their ingredients and flavoring. These in particular go excellent with milk and sugar, I also know for a fact they make yummy iced tea.

I'm proud to finally bring you teas from a small Tea Room located in Old Town Pasadena. Tea Rose Garden is the epitome of the simple things in life. Their tea service is prepared in the fashion of English Country style. Miss matched bone china, an indoor fountain, and a three tier of scrumptious treats make this place second to none. To add to it's charm, the Tea Rose Garden has a florist shop towards the back of the shop and a back garden for outdoor private parties. People go here for a cozy pot of tea and conversations.

Predominantly a shop that carries Black Teas, their blends are endless! These are a few of my favorites that are flat out decadent. I would overall characterize their teas as bold and bursting with strong notes. 

Here are the three teas of sweet indulgent goodness:

Vanilla Almond: This is a bestseller at the TRG. Perhaps it's the richness of the tea when it's steep that blends the vanilla and almond to make a truffle texture. The blend is so rich that it has a dessert sensation that's all it's own. My cousin gets it with their triple chocolate mousse cake.  It's sinful, absolutely decadent. I recommend that any milk and sugar tea junkie give this a try.

Peaches & Cream: My current guilty pleasure! The first specialty tea I ever had was a classic Apricot. The soft Peachy taste from this tea gives me nostalgia of my first real tea experience, and the Vanilla almost clouds it in an innocent lingering finish.  I enjoy this the tea for it's balance of soft, rich, warming notes. It gets better the longer it steeps, as their are pieces of dried peaches in it. This blend makes me want to sit on the couch with a throw and a good book or crocheting a new scarf. It's so cozy, and I swear I give off a smile after every pot.

Cinnamon Plum:This tea almost has an exotic scent to it. French Plums were used distinctly for their complex notes in tea. So when they were introduced to tea, this was one of France's earlier tea blends. The deep blend of French Plum (aka Sugar Plums) gives a bold, lingering taste on the tongue woven in a black tea. Cinnamon bits warm the taste up giving way to stronger notes in the fruity blend. The overall taste feels naturally sweet mood, shockingly nothing like an average Christmas type tea.  It's bold, but in a comforting sort of way. If your craving a rich unique flavor, give this amazing blend a try.

Hope you enjoy these teas! I have more exciting things to tell you about the Tea Rose Garden in the near future. Be sure to check my pick of  Chado's Sweet Teas HERE.

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