Des Moines Marriot and Taylors of Harrogate!

I was staying in Des Moines for a work conference and  I was a bit worried that they would have some silly "cheap" tea.  BOY WAS I WRONG!!!! 

www.marriott.com/.../dsmia-des-moines-marriott-downtown 

 

In my room I had a cute individual coffee/tea maker with Taylors Tea.  I just discovered this tea a few weeks ago when I had their Blackberry and Elderflower tea.  I was soo excited!  Their tea is very good!!!

I got to stay on the 18th floor.  Enjoying tea and looking at the city.

 http://www.taylorsofharrogate.com/

Breakfast!!!   I think I had at least 6 cups of tea  each day while at the Marriot.  YEAH good tea in the hotel!! 

Lemon & Orange Tea

Ancient Chinese blend with essences of fruits and flowers. Combination of black tea with the sweet, tangy flavor of citrus fruits. Use one tea bag. Add freshly boiled water and infuse for 3-5 minutes. Serve on its own or with sugar or honey.

snack with some Fairtrade Breakfast tea and Scottish Breakfast tea

 

Fairtrade Breakfast Tea

Bright, brisk tea with a truly delicious flavor. Fairtrade certified. A highly refreshing breakfast tea that can be enjoyed at any time of day. Use one tea bag. Add freshly boiled water and infuse for 4-5 minutes. Best served with milk.

Scottish Breakfast Tea

Blend of the very best Assam and African teas with an inviting bright color and a full, rich flavor – perfect for serving at breakfast time. Use one tea bag. Add freshly boiled water and infuse for 4-5 minutes. Best served with milk.

 

I enjoyed all the teas I had from Taylors.  I also tried English Breakfast and Earl Grey during my three days in at the Marriot.

 

English Breakfast Tea

Special blend of teas from India and Africa. Full-bodied, rich and refreshing, with a bright, inviting color. Ideal tea for any time of the day. Use one tea bag. Add freshly boiled water and infuse for 4-5 minutes. Serve with or without milk.

 

Earl Grey Tea

Fine black tea with fragrance of Bergamot. This elegant tea was first invented as a Mandarin's gift to the second Earl Grey in the 1880s. Use one tea bag. Add freshly boiled water and infuse for 3-5 minutes. Serve with or without milk.

 

 

I picked up some Delicate Green Tea, but I have not tried it yet.

Delicate Green Tea

Easy-drinking green tea with a delicate taste. CO2 decaffeination method uses natural elements to gently remove caffeine. Use one tea bag. Add water just under the boil and infuse for 3-5 minutes. Serve without milk, sweeten with sugar or honey.

 

 

 I picked up some Organic Chamomile Tea, but I have not tried it yet.

Organic Chamomile

Organically-grown chamomile for the best purity and flavor. Soothing taste, delicate aroma and naturally caffeine free. Use one tea bag. Add freshly boiled water and infuse for 3-4 minutes. Serve without milk, sweeten with sugar or honey.

 

I picked up some Organic Peppermint Tea, but I have not tried it yet.

Organic Peppermint

Natural peppermint has a fresh, clean flavor and makes a soothing infusion. Organically-grown peppermint for purity. Use one tea bag. Add freshly boiled water and infuse for 3-4 minutes. Serve without milk, sweeten with sugar or honey.

TEA FORTE Lemon Sorbeti taste test

http://teaforte.com/

 

 

lemon sorbetti green tea Based on Italy's most celebrated sorbet, this green tea is married with fragrantly fresh citrus and the sweetness of wildflower honey. A delicious taste of dessert any time of the day. 

 Ingredients organic lemon verbena, organic lemongrass, organic green tea, natural lemon flavor, organic lemon myrtle, organic lemon peel

Lately when I babysit the boys they tend to ask if I have brought teas for them to taste test.  This night I brought teas!  The boys really liked the smell, but that is where the liking ended.  I really liked the tea, but Ryan and Kyle were not fans.  Kyle- ever the diplomat- said it wasn't the worst tea he ever had, but it was not his favorite.

I thought this lemon tea was light and refreshing.  The lemon taste is nice and not bitter.  I was a fan.  I tried it this time warm, but I think it will be great cold too!!!!

GONG FU TEA

 

gongfu-tea.com

My friend brought me to Gong Fu Tea today, I read about it on line and could not wait to visit. Gong Fu tea in Des Moines, Iowa.  Interesting, while we were at church on Sunday, we found out that one of Kate's friend shops here and loves this tea.   This fun little shop is about 20 minutes from my friends house and about 3 minutes from the hotel I am staying in.

The place was pretty busy when we were there...that's always a good sign!!

 

See all the tea stored on the wall, in dark air tight containers.

 

 

 The store is very "zen" and relaxing.  It was fun!

 

 Wall of tea....

 

I had the cold Lavender Sencha tea.  It was good.  It was not as strong in the Lavender flavor as I was hoping, but it was still very good.

 

Kate had the cold Chai and she said it was very good.

Very fun to visit this tea shop.  They has all kinds of teas, tea pots, tea cups, and fun tea extras.  I will maybe need to purchase some more tea on line.

I also then purchased some Lemon Hibiscus Tea to take home :)

Gong Fu TEA

Gong Fu Tea -

gongfu-tea.com

(515) 288-3388

414 E 6th St, Des Moines, IA

 

Here is where I am heading today!!!!  I am so excited to go here!!! While in Ohio, I looked on line and I found them.   I am visiting Des Moines for work.  This weekend I am staying with my college friends- who I have not seen in over 9 years.  Kate is taking me to my work conference, but first we are stopping at Gong Fu- ya!!!!!  I will blog tonight with photos of what I thought.

I think I want to try this one: Cranberry Lover’s Tea This lover’s blend of honeybush and rooibos contains the nutrient powerhouse fruit from the mountain cranberry shrub. These low bush cranberries are packed with high levels of antioxidants and health promoting properties. Blended with rose buds and small sugar hearts, this tea will charm your sweetheart and will pose the question: Be my valentine? 2 oz. - $4.50

 

 

From on line:

 

Gong Fu Tea got its start in September of 2003. My old college friend Rusty Bishop had just returned from participating in an extreme running event held in the Gobi Desert (The Gobi March), and I gave him a quick call to see how he had fared. That "quick call" turned into a lengthy, introspective conversation in which we both determined that we were ready to embark on a venture that would be truly inspirational. At the time, we were both coffee-swilling components of the corporate machine, and looking to completely reinvent ourselves. Tea was the vehicle that we used to accomplish that feat on nearly every level.

My experience with tea began when I was child. My parents weren't coffee drinkers at the time, so we always had tea as our hot beverage of choice. I got away from tea about the same time I started attending college. I became a coffee drinker, and continued the habit for nearly fifteen years before I finally isolated it as something which had a negative affect on my energy level. I stopped drinking coffee "cold turkey" and replaced it with common bagged teas – and felt much better as a result. My interest in tea was immediately reinvigorated at that point.

This interest, coupled with a general interest in all things gastronomically wonderful, fused to form a vision for becoming a provider of ultra-high quality loose-leaf teas to other people – people who would respond in the same positive manner to the terrific tastes and healthful aspects of one of the world’s oldest and most widely consumed beverages.

Rusty and I arranged to meet each other in Chicago for a weekend that same September. The purpose of the meeting was to determine what sort of business endeavor we would like to create. After hashing over a few dozen ideas, I mentioned the concept of a high-end teahouse that would cater to the palates of tea enthusiasts here in the United States. After I shared the seminal vision with Rusty, we were both so taken with the notion that we have never yet discussed any of the other business ideas that we had come up with that day. After scouring the third largest city in America for some representative example of our vision and finding only a few quality shops in the entire area, we mutually agreed to establish our presence in the heart of the Midwest.
We wanted to bring quality teas to the people we were familiar with and that we were sure would respond enthusiastically to the realm of teas, if only introduced to them