California Tea & Coffee Brewery

As usual, my post for www.tching.com this month will be a more extensive coverage of a topic I touch on here as a prelude.  This month it has to do with letting passion for your product or craft override simple and basic politeness.

If anyone is passionate about product, it’s yours truly.   So when a new vendor came into my store unannounced and told me I could not submit a second order without doing things exactly  to their specifications, I was a little..well..shocked…considering the first order had quickly sold through and people loved it.    If anyone respects wanting their product to be seen at its’ best, we do, but when the product leaves your hands and the money has been exchanged…you own it.  In this case, we had taken the time to source the product, tested it via samples, been  set up as a customer and, during that entire process, absolutely no requirements on preparation or equipment were so much as hinted at.

That aside, there would have been a more polite way to handle the situation.   So, after spending time attempting to ameliorate the situation with the rep and, when that got nowhere, the national sales manager, I now have an email in to the owner of the company, explaining in detail what happened and asking for a solution or common grounds meeting place.  If this elicits nothing or the same type of response–as great as this product is–there is no way to do business in a professional manner with a company run this way.

However, it has made me re-examine my own passion for product and whether or not we are as polite as we should be about the customer’s decisions on how to use or prepare what they buy from us.   My mentor used to say that, once she gave a gift, she had no right to input in what was done with it.  I can’t imagine a bakery vendor telling a store owner they had to display the wares on silver trays with silver framed placards describing the delicacy or they could not reorder.

Bottomline: there’s passion…and then there’s arrogance.  One is a virtue, the other is not.    May we have the discernment to know which is which.  I’m preaching to me.    Passionate…but politely so.

My posting for the month at www.tching (T Ching) is on the illusive perfect chai latte.  So, I thought I’d preview that by ranting a little here.

It took forever to get it right with espresso mocha latte and the chai latte just had to be there.    We’ve all (tea lovers) had chai lattes, haven’t we? And I remember my first exposure was to store (grocery) product, both liquid concentrate and powder.  I found the liquids to be ‘watery’ and the powders to be ‘dry coffee creamer’ chalky.  

To me the perfect chai latte has to be slightly sweet and spicy, but also creamy, and that combo was lacking in existing products.  That meant coming up with an original recipe or blend.  After much tweaking, what I came up with is virtually three different chais, all with a certain virtue that, when put together, give just the right balance of sweet and spicy.   I love to make it with soy milk and top it with a little whipped cream and cinnamon.  It can be seasonally adjusted to Pumpkin Spice as well.

So, my question to you is:  Have you found your ‘perfect chai latte’??  I’d love to hear your experiences with chai.  

Great Fall beverage as well!

NajaTea is a company owned by a beautiful young woman who is as passionate about specialty tea and business as I am. 

Naja began her tea journey when her grandmother served her tea as a child, making it fun and special and something that came back to her when she visited a modern-trendy tea shop as an adult.

Naja is building an incredible company through brand-building packaging, superior product, original ideas and intense motivation and persistence.  She just earned the distinction of being one of the finalists in the NBC/ShineALight program to highlight upcoming small businesses in association with ivillage.com. 

Naja reminds me of me when I was her age.  She lends youth and energy to the world of specialty tea, which has long been perceived as an “older” person’s culture.  Naja is the new face of specialty tea and one that will do it proud.

My background is as an entrepreneur in real estate, wholesale and now retailing.  Naja and I have many similarities and tea is what connects us.  The company I’m a partner in, Caliofrnia tea & Coffee Brewery, is also cutting-edge, especially in the area of technology, where our patent pending brewing acceleration process for all loose leaf teas and herbals holds a key to really bringing fine loose leaf tea mainstream in the retail venue.

Naja and I ‘met’ as contributors to one of the country’s most popular and respected tea blogs, T Ching.  I noticed her there and she the same, and since that time we have Twittered together, shared ideas and leads and hope to do something really wonderful together in the future.

Men have long dominated the world of coffee, and it seems fair that women with vision should take specialty #tea into the present and the future.

Salut’ Naja!  I’m with YOU.

****

Profiles:  

Diane Walden:  http://www.tching.com/author/dwalden/

Naja Hayward: http://www.tching.com/author/nhayward/

The economy being what it is, I suppose that wineries might find themselves busier than most industries even if they weren’t being promoted by the City and their own Association.  We live in the Wine Country of Southern California, and three businesses that have to do with beverage not linked to wine and wine-growing were profiled in the county’s largest paper today, including ours.  The link follows: http://tinyurl.com/mu4hka

The Visitor’s Bureau also spends time and effort getting people to come visit the beautiful vineyards as well as our other major tourist attraction, Old Town.  However, hidden behind/among these two area pets are a number of entrepreneurial niche businesses that plug away virtually unnoticed or unsung by the powers that be.  Still, we are making progress.

This is not ‘sour grapes’ at all.  This is, in fact, an encouragement to anyone who wants some attention for their business and has a limited budget.  Some ideas we pursue are attempting to tie in, in some way, with the areas getting the big bucks and spotlight.  For us, that means inviting winery chefs to cup our teas.  Participating in a Women’s Club fundraiser by purchasing a booth in Old Town to showcase our teas.  Sending out releases to all area papers with any news that seems relevant.

And then there is just plain timing.   After all but giving up on attracting winery attention, a new customer walked through the door at closing time this past weekend and mentioned his girlfriend loved teas and he would have to bring her.  Oh….and she was also the marketing director of one of the most beautiful and famous winery resorts in our Valley.  Well, come on in!

On the subject of tea and wine:  They have similiarities as well; regional variations in flavor, great for use in dishes and with meals, and tea makes a fine palate cleanser for wine tasters.  It can, with its’ caffeine, help an overimbiber of wine tasting tours get over the effects.

Look out wineries–there are microbreweries, coffee roasters and tea blenders and brewers who want a little of the limelight for their passions as well.  And entrepreneurs with passion will never give up.  Never.  No never.

Note to self:  Faith and passion are essential.

Especially if you start a business just before the full force of a recession hits!  We saw six beverage (coffee & tea) places, including two units of a giant, go out of business since we opened our doors last July.  We are still standing.

Beyond faith and passion, you must have excellent product, a reasonable lease, great customer service and vision.  “Without a vision…”  Do you know the rest?

We are in one of the hardest hit parts of the country economically because we are a ‘bedroom’ community of commuters who bought houses in large part that sported large mortgages and required a commute to jobs that didn’t exist locally.   Builders overbuilt, lenders gave out loans that were timebombs…and the rest will be history.

We have learned so much watching established chain retailers in our own plaza and all around us.  One common things seems to be “Give coupons, lower prices,  attempt to beat out the competition with  “deals no one  can refuse.”  Guess what:  They can refuse them.  Price has always been and will always be the most easy.. and the worst.. point of differentiation,  and especially in a price war.

What we decided to do, watching others cut eachother’s margins to really unthinkable levels and (from empty spaces in plazas and malls) unrealistic levels, was to tighten our belt and keep inventories in check, move out any slow sellers, rethink our marketing plan, and do everything we could to cut costs without cutting corners.  Hopefully, we have done things that will continue to build our business and sustain us until the economy grinds forward and upward.

We have also seen that, although customers may not come as often as last  year as they feel their own personal financial pinch, they are loyal to a retailer who they know is doing everything possible to serve them well and give them a little affordable luxury.

The long, hot summer of 2009 is ready to become history but we need to continue the good practices of less waste, more service and continuous improvement as we go into the Fall.
Best to all who will be Survivors of 2009!

This month the editor of T Ching (www.tching.com) has asked me to write my guest contributor post on using social network marketing, social media networking, or whatever it’s called..sigh..and I’m at a little bit of a loss, as it’s all still Greek to me.

However, what I do know is that it’s free, it most likely can’t hurt and it has helped in some measure get our word out to, not only our own community, but to the world at large.   And that’s a good thing.

Our ‘associate/intern/all around smart young marketing guy’ Ed first set us up with Twitter and Facebook accounts and then added Etsy as a site to make it possible to purchase our teas online until our permanent company website is ready to go.  He then ‘handed the keys’ to me, so to speak, and off we drove.  And it has been a fairly smooth ride.

What seems to be happening now is that the sites are beginning to gel a bit; Twitter readers locally are coming in to check us out, we are gaining Facebook fans from that, and even had a sale from Etsy…which is the lagger.  Etsy will simply become part of a larger picture once the website is ready.  Oh, and of course there is this WordPress blog, which also lends some lift-off. 

What is most challenging to me is the Twitter part of the program.  I’ve seen and read a bit on technique, psychology, style, etc., and am just in the ‘watch and think about it’ phase.  Much of it makes no sense to my logical mind, such as posting the same phrases over and over again, as one company does, or just putting up links to ‘How to add 3 zillion followers a day’…but I keep Twittering our messages, some links, but hopefully all or most focused on the niche we are attempting to make a mark in.

I would love to hear from anyone who feels they have some good tips on utilizing the Internet resources in social networking and I will gladly make use of that input in the article on T Ching.  We now have over 400 followers in not too long a time, so apparently something is working, even though many most likely follow ‘everyone’.  Maybe it’s time to do some ‘weeding’.

We love any and every way to get our message and our business out to the public that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg and produces results!  Have you done well in this arena?  Please, help all of us!

Iced coffee has become a hot comodity this summer and I was just reading about the ‘wars’ going on between places for customers of this classic beverage. 

Like anything else, iced coffee can be great, average or really awful, depending on the ingredients and technique.  Why not just get an iced Americano instead?  An iced Americano is simply freshly pulled espresso shots over ice with possibly a little cream and either simple syrup or flavored syrup added, if desired.  Really decadent is adding a dollop of good whipped cream..and, well…maybe a sprinkling of cinnamon on a vanilla iced Americano.

Darn it, if you’re going to do things, I say do them right.  A beverage, including an iced coffee or Americano, should be as fresh as possible.   That means brewing the coffee by the cup or pulling the shots when you make the drink.   I want my money’s worth when paying for any specialty beverage and that means fresh, great ingredients and someone who knows about working with beans, leaves or anything else used. 

Let’s leave the ‘wars’ to the behemoths and turn to beverage artisans for specialty beverages, whether specialty tea or coffee.  Let’s make beverage love..not war!

Do you have a great recipe or comment on iced coffee or Americanos?    If I could spare the calories, I’ve just made myself thirsty for a two-shot iced vanilla Americano with whip and a good sprinkling of quality cinnamon, a thick straw and a cool, shady spot to enjoy it!

Cheers!

How do I love thee, Rooibos?  I can’t count the ways!  But here are a few:

1.    No caffeine

2.  More antioxidants (many times more) than tea

3.  Earthy, robust, mellow flavor

4.  Ability to be blended with everything from chocolate to coconut to mint to fruit.

In short, I don’t know of a downside for Rooibos.  Unless it is that its’ tiny needles try to get through even the finest filter.  The rest is all bliss.  True, some people are not enamored of the earthy taste of unblended Rooibos but, once they smell and taste it blended with fruits and other flavors, they too jump on board.  The flavor au natural, however, is absolutely loved by some, my husband included.  His favorite thing is concentrated shots of Rooibos consumed like an espresso shot, and he shares them with friends on a daily basis.

Rooibos is only grown in South Africa, the Capetown area, where adults even put it in bags for teething babies to suck on.  It is a part of the culture and the lives of millions of South Africans and now is becoming popular in the rest of the world for all the reasons mentioned above.

You cannot ‘ruin’ Rooibos.  Tea and coffee require some ‘babysitting’ and care, but you can be cruel to Rooibos and it will forgive you every time.  Oversteep?  Don’t worry about it!  Tea would become bitter but Rooibos just gets richer. 

Rooibos is the perfect ‘bedtime’ beverage.  A cup of hot Rooibos blended with mint or caramel gives you comfort food feelings and great sleep..remember, no caffeine.

If you can’t find it where you are, our Facebook page gives more information, or any link on this blog can be helpful.  It’s worth finding and definitely worth consuming.

Rooibos:  Great taste, no caffeine, loaded with antioxidants.

*Pronounced: Roy-bohs

So many people dislike green tea because they say it’s ‘bitter’ or tastes ‘nasty’ to them.  If you are working with a really good green tea, and that doesn’t mean really expensive, this should never be the case.

 Most problems with taste in coffee or tea happen during the brewing process.  First of all, to maximize flavor, tea should be consumed as quickly after it’s brewed as possible, not only for taste reasons but for health reasons as well, as tests have shown that the antioxidants begin to degrade within a short time after brewing.  And tea that is brewed and then refrigerated not only tastes ‘dead’, it also has lost so many of its’ health benefits that it is mostly just cold liquid.  Bottled tea?  Well, there are a multitude of problems; degradation of antioxidants, ultraviolet damage, preservatives tainting taste..to name a few.  People who make sun tea often feel they are adding health benefits by leaving it out in the sun.  However, sun tea, while tasting good to many, especially as ‘sweet tea’ (and sugar is another health issue), actually is subjected to the very ultraviolet light that kills antioxidants.

 Have you ever had a concentrated fresh brew of good tea poured hot over ice and shaken?  It’s delicious and just bursting with antioxidants.  We recommend loose leaf tea made with an infuser that gives the leaves room to move around freely but the reality is that some people refuse to use anything but a bag.  So, bag or loose leaf in an infuser/pot, the best way to brew is using aproximately 1 tsp. tea per 8 oz. water for hot tea, and at least double that if pouring over ice.  A good heaping tablespoon for a 20 oz. iced tea is just about right.

 White and green tea should be brewed in cooler water than black and herbals.  170-175F is recommended and, for blacks and herbals, 190-195F.  If you don’t have a thermometer, bring the water to a boil, turn it off, wait about 10-15 seconds for black and herbals, and about 25 seconds for green and white, then pour over the leaves (or bag) and let it brew/steep 1.5-2 min. for green and white and 3+ for black and herbals; some herbals can take 5 minutes of steeping, such as Rooibos.  Oolong can be brewed at the same temperature as black, in my opinion, and for the longer time, in order for the tight leaves to unfurl adequately.  

 These are simple, basic and good rules to follow.  I don’t know why, but it seems people have spent a fortune on coffee brewing equipment and will go to great lengths to find great beans, buy fairly expensive home brewing equipment and make coffee into a science but, when it comes to tea, any old grocery store teabag thrown into hot water for a few minutes or so is all that’s required.  No wonder some people don’t like tea.  They’ve never really tasted it brewed correctly, and in its’ best form…loose leaf. 

Good tea brewed correctly is one of life’s incredible, luscious little pleasures.  And the bonus is the health benefits tea offers.  You can order good tea online if you can’t find loose leaf in your local specialty market.  Same for brewing accessories.  A good stainless steel infuser is under $20 and worth ever penny.  After 5 years of working with specialty tea, it is my passion to make sure it gets it’s fair ‘shot’ in the brewing process.

Beside our own blog, I also blog for a wonderful tea site called T Ching, which was started by Sandy Bushberg and Michelle Rabin, both PhD’s and both absolute lovers of good tea.  Their editor was kind enough to ask if I would like to become a guest contributor.

The series I’ve been doing is on some specialty tea retail concepts I find exciting and unique.  If you are as passionate as me about the opportunities open to those promoting fine tea, please read about  a few of these new concepts from my posts on their blog below.

Teapod, San Anselmo, CA   5/20/09

Argo Tea, Chicago, IL     6/15/09

T. Tea Bar, Chico, CA     7/2/09

And, of course..us:

California Tea & Coffee Brewery, Temecula, CA  9/17/09

Find them along with other great posts on specialty tea at www.tching.com

If you know of someone in tea retailing with something unique and cutting edge, feel free to ‘drop a name’ here so I can follow up and see if they might be someone to write about in the future.

To tea!