Around the cauldron

Before the leaves and tisanes ever reach our studio in central Montana, the sun in places like Fujian, Assam, Egypt, or Uji has already dictated the leaves flavor profile. While the world wrestles with flickering grids and wavering power, Witches Brew is powered by the unwavering constancy of the sun. 

Think of your tea cup as a scrying mirror. In divination, a mirror must be perfectly clear to reflect an accurate vision. In brewing, your water must be as equally pure to reflect the true flavor profile of the infusion. If your water is clouded with minerals, chlorine, or impurities, the vision becomes distorted. Brewing isn’t just heating water.

When your package from Witches Brew arrives to your door, you aren’t just receiving a tea order; you’ve just acquired a living botanical specimen. Think of your tea collection like a library. In a library, books are kept in a specific environment to prevent the pages from yellowing or the ink from fading.

In folklore, tea has always been the divine healer—the brew that could heal an illness, fix a broken heart, ward off a curse, or grant a long life. Plants have spent millions of years perfecting their art of resilience.

WHY WE BREW: SMALL MAGIC FOR EVERY DAY Tea has long been more than a simple drink—it’s been a bridge between the everyday and the extraordinary; the mundane and magic. For centuries, those who’ve walked before us turned to the...

There is a specific Zen to a “tea high” that coffee simply cannot replicate. In our Tea School context, this describes the unique state of calm alertness created by the synergy of caffeine and L-theanine. It’s the feeling of being mentally sharp and focused without the physical jitters or the dreaded caffeine crash.

It’s time for us to move beyond “this tastes like tea”, and get into the nitty-gritty of the palate. Today we’re shifting from the history and science of the leaf, to the actual sensory experience, training your brain to decode what your tongue and nose are already reporting.

Welcome back to Witches Brew Tea School! After weeks of traversing the color spectrum of tea, finally descending into the microbial shadows of Heicha, let’s now step out of the library and into the sunlight of the Apothecary’s Garden in a bid to understand tisanes.

Where green, oolong, and black teas are finished once they’re dried, Heicha is just beginning. You may not realize it, but most teas are technically dead by the time they reach your cup. They’re snapshots of a single moment in time when they were fixed by heat to kill the enzymes and stop all chemical changes within the leaves.

When you’re looking to avoid the jitters, the terminology can get a bit murky. Most people reach for decaf, but there’s a significant difference between a drink that’s had its caffeine stripped, and one that never had any to begin with.

Gather ‘round, gather ‘round for today we step away from the light of green teas and delicate whites, away from the shifting complexities of Oolong.  We’re moving deeper into the shadows, crossing the threshold into the darker world of Black Tea

Vitamin D is a vital nutrient that plays a complex role in maintaining our overall well-being. At its core, vitamin D regulates the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, which are essential for building and maintaining strong bones and teeth.

While all “true” tea comes from the same plant—Camellia sinensis—oolong is a distinct category because of controlled partial oxidation. The word “Oolong” (or Wulong) literally translates from Chinese as “Black Dragon”, which refers to the dark, twisted appearance of the dried leaves, as they dramatically unfurl like a dragon waking from sleep when they hit hot water.

White and Green teas, often referred to as “The Delicate Spirits.” White tea is the least processed of all tea types; by the end of this lesson, you’ll understand why its simplicity is actually its greatest challenge. You’ll also be able to distinguish between a “steamed” and a “fired” green tea by scent alone.

“I’m a coffee junky but even I can only drink so much. I love that teas have way more options and even medicinal purposes. How do I brew and prepare various types so I don’t feel like I’m drinking fragrant bubble bath water?”

All true teas spring from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. The pure sorcery is in the processing.  It’s through withering, bruising, oxidation, and firing that conjures wildly different potions: delicate whites, fresh greens, complex oolongs, and robust blacks. No two types undergo the same spell (though some lighter oolongs share steps with greens).

T’was the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring…or were they? You might think the spooky season is over; that you’re safely in December – candy canes, hot cocoa, holiday baking and a mild...

Imagine sitting in a candlelit nook, a steaming cup of Witches Brew tea (or tisane) in hand, its fragrant steam casting a swirling spell around your head. With each sip, you’re not just drinking tea; you’re stirring the energies of the universe, ready to uncover secrets hidden in your cup.

The listing in the agent’s window was meant to entice passersby – baiting them, daring them to imagine a different life, a smaller life; a quieter existence. By its faded visage, edges curling around the cellophane tape sticking it in place, it had clearly failed to lure the right person. 

It’s been waiting, patiently biding its time. 

Until now.

So, what is this “quantum field”? 

Without dull, lab-coat jargon or woo-woo fluff, think of your quantum field as an invisible web of energy that surrounds you, connects you to everything and everyone. It hums with your thoughts, feelings, and actions. This isn’t just poetic. Scientists describe the quantum field as a sea of potential, where particles pop in and out of existence, shaped by observation. It’s like the Wi-Fi signal of your life—always there, always buzzing, picking up your vibe and broadcasting it to the universe. 

Long ago, our ancestors recognized the multiple benefits of plants. From healing to protection, they learned to harness nature’s organic properties and wield its power.