Tasting Lab: Bard's Blend

Bard's Blend was developed in conjunction with Poet's Blend, so it made sense to release them back to back. They're in a sense 'sister blends', following the same blending principles, despite how differently they turned out.

Whereas Poet’s Blend mixes black tea with floral-scented green and oolong teas for an aromatic, garden-in-your-cup experience, Bard’s Blend takes a different approach. Using a mix of malty and nutty black teas from India and China, they’ve been paired with smoky gunpowder green tea, and a blend of roasted oolongs. The result is a mix of toasted grains, and the barest hint of smoke. I’ve described it as ‘buttered toast’.

10 Favourite Iced Tea Blends for Summer

I've been collecting lots of beautiful tea blends as the weather’s been warming up, both for cold brewing in a water bottle and kept in the fridge for my own personal enjoyment, and for whipping up a quick brew method in a big pitcher for when guests come by. Today I’m sharing my favourite blends for iced tea right now.

Hop on the Tisane Train. Next Stop: Summer!

Creamy Yuzu Limeade

On the days before Mother’s Day, we are getting inspired to make the mom in our lives a delicious new drink to serve with brunch. Not just the days, actually, all year we’re dreaming of fun drinks to create! I recently got my hands on my MILs copy of the Joy of Cooking cookbook and have been poring over the cocktail section. A Peach Brandy, Queen Elizabeth Cocktail or a Rum Collins anyone? I’ve yet to make any of the recipes from it, which include a “Cherry Bounce” that calls for 5 pounds each of sugar and fresh cherries. Yikes! I did come across a limeade recipe and also a recipe for homemade condensed milk, which got me thinking about a traditional Brazilian lemonade made with sweetened condensed milk (don’t worry, the condensed milk is from a tin).

Murchie’s new Sunrise Yuzu herbal tea is on repeat at my house, so I knew I wanted to incorporate it into a refreshing treat for mom. It’s got a mouthwatering sweet/tart/bitter thing going on that is simply perfect for this limeade recipe made with sweetened condensed milk and ice that gets all buzzed up with a hand mixer to frothy goodness. This recipe is a winner because it’s simple to make, uses simple ingredients and is big on flavour. It can also be easily tweaked - use orange instead of lime (or both), double the recipe for a larger batch or add a splash of white rum.

I have to wonder how many moms out there actually tackled any of the labour intensive cocktail recipes from Joy of Cooking. The reality is, most moms are likely too busy juggling work and family life. If you need an excuse to treat mom to a special drink for brunch, that would be it.

Top Teas for Mother's Day and A Yuzu Orange Mocktail Recipe

Spring is finally here, and with all the flowers in bloom it’s as though it’s nature’s cue for us to celebrate Mother's Day! Here at Murchie's,  we’re especially thrilled for Mother’s Day this year as we have just released an amazing group of floral and fruit forward spring teas. Even if mom usually goes for classic teas, it can be a lovely and unexpected surprise to receive something new. Just read on for how delicious they sound! Whether you’re searching for something special to serve with Mother’s Day brunch or a treat with breakfast in bed, you’ll find the tea that mom will love.