6.07.2011

Little Mew Brew - Tea for me and tea for you

logo used with permission/all rights reserved



Little Mew Brew, a new tea company, began as a beer label.
          No joke. Courtney Powers and her husband used the name for a label of their custom blended beer for their wedding, called “Nuptu-Ale.”
          Now she says, she’s keeping the name alive. The name actually honors the couple’s three cats who provide “help” to Courtney in brewing tea.
          By help, she means the cats hang out in the kitchen, looking for treats. :)
          She partnered with Frank @ 52teas.com – the innovative new-blend-every-week tea seller known for outstanding, but limited edition blends – to “Rescue from Retirement” three blends:  Cinnamon Raisin Toast, Pomegranate Green and Raspberry Cream Cheese Danish.
          This is the second partnership 52teas has launched with the “Rescued from Retirement” initiative. iHeartTeas.com “rescued” Blueberry Cream Cheese Danish and other favorites: http://keenteathyme.blogspot.com/2011/06/iheartteascom-rachel-carter-may-2011.html
          In fact, Courtney – also known in the online tea community as Wifey_Woman – first found out about the 52 Teas initiative through Rachel@ iHeartTeas. “I thought to myself, she’s really lucky to have gotten in on that!” But then Frank put out a call to other tea fans who may want to get involved. Courtney wrote him back, saying she’d love to get involved as long as her blends didn’t infringe on Rachel’s shop, which he assured her that her tea venture wouldn’t. So she launched Little Mew Brew’s rescued blends which are for sale now:  http://teatrade.tinypay.me/#q=user:s7rRc3RY
          “I’ve always wanted to go into business for myself,” Courtney explained. “I love tea and they said you should love what you do, right?” This is her first tea business venture, but Courtney is no stranger to business sense. She’s also an Avon Independent Sales Rep and holds down a full-time job to help pay the bills. But her dream is to sell tea full-time – and make a living at it. “I think selling tea is more in my blood unlike makeup,” Courtney joked.
          Not only is Little Mew Brew rescuing teas from retirement from 52Teas, she’ll also offer her own blends – eventually.
          Courtney is a recent convert to drinking tea – she used to drink coffee, at least 2-3 cups per day while she drank tea maybe once or twice a week. Due to health reasons, she was looking for a better option. For Lent she gave up coffee “cold turkey,” she said. Instead she opted for tea – and hasn’t looked back. She’s tried coffee drinks since the end of Lent, and hated the taste.
          The health benefits to tea are pretty awesome, Courtney said. While neither Courtney nor I are medical practitioners, no one can deny the amazing health benefits of tea: rich in antioxidants, helpful with digestive issues, and even increased energy. Courtney’s own experience speaks volumes as well. She used to suffer from many migraines and was on lots of medication to treat them. With the decrease in pain, she’s been able to stop taking migraine meds and just takes daily vitamins – a change her husband loves.
          With Little Mew Brew, Courtney hopes for success – so much that she could quit the full-time job and work from home selling tea and Avon. “I think there is a lot of potential for both businesses to take off,” she explained.
          But Little Mew Brew is also excited about the opportunities to meet fellow teaists. “I hope to gain new customers and friends as well as helpful advice from those in the business.”

Quick Notes:
          Little Mew Brew does ship internationally - to Canada and Europe, as well as within the United States.

  

Dara Gold - Our Tea Stain Artist in Group Gallery in Toronto

Canadian tea drinkers - and Canadian tourists - are in for a treat! One of my favorite local artists - and definitely the best tea stain artist - Dara Gold will be showing two of her paintings in a group show at Toronto's Gallery Hittite! The show runs from  Fri., June 17 through Sat., July 9, 2011.


The show opening is from 7-9 p.m., on Fri., June 17.

I am a US citizen with an outdated passport so I can't get to the showing to meet her and see some of her fabulous work in person. I'm counting on you Canadian readers to help! :)

Please stop by to see her, tell her Keen Tea Thyme sent you, and see if you can snag a photo to be featured on my blog! I'll post a story about your experience meeting her, and any photos you'd like to share. (You'll retain all creative rights, don't worry.)

The gallery's address is 107 Scollart Street, Yorkville, Toronto. Phone: 416-924-4450.

Learn more about Dara Gold here: http://keenteathyme.blogspot.com/p/golds-tea-stain-art.html

Congratulations to Dara Gold for this amazing accomplishment!