Frequently Asked Questions | Two Leaves Tea Company
- Why did you shorten your name from two leaves and a bud tea company™ to two leaves tea company™?
In a word, simplicity! We found our long name, while descriptive, was confusing to people - tea lovers and tea novices alike. We encourage you to read our blog for a more complete explanation of why we made the switch.
- Why did your packaging change?
Thanks for noticing! Our packaging has changed to match our new (shorter) name and logo. The new packaging is also more eco-friendly; we have replaced the plastic over-wrap with a simple tear-strip at the top of the box. Plus, our eco-friendly sleeves inside the box that keep your tea fresh are now 18% smaller. Furthermore, we know you appreciate a good lookin' box of tea. But while our look is different, it's the same quality tea you have come to enjoy.
- What makes Paisley Tea Co.™ different from two leaves™ tea?
Paisley™ is a new line of traditional teas with values from two leaves™. These teas are a terrific alternative to other brands of traditional paper teabags because they taste great and are certified Organic and Fair Trade to boot. In addition Paisley is a great value with 24 bags in each box, 10% more tea in each bag, and more robust flavor. Give it a try!
- What is up with White Peony's name change?
At two leaves tea company™, most of our teas are named for the places where they are grown or by their native tea names. We have changed the name of our White Peony tea to its original name in Chinese, which is Bai Mu Dan (pronounced by-moo-dahn). The literal translation from Chinese into English of this tea name is "white peony." Our newly renamed Bai Mu Dan is the same delicate tea it has always been but better fits our tradition of providing you with an authentic tea drinking experience.
- What happened to the goji berries? Your Tropical Goji Green is now just Tropical Green.
That's right, we have changed this tea blend slightly. Organic goji berries have become increasingly tricky to obtain. But we really like this tea and want to be able to keep making it without the sourcing troubles we are likely to encounter. As a result, we have chosen to modify this tea. It no longer includes pieces of goji berry, but it still boasts that same delicious tropical flavor. It's still a holiday for your tastebuds!
- I bought two boxes of the same kind of tea and found that they taste slightly different. Why is that?
Our teas will occasionally vary in flavor for couple of reasons. First, tea is an agricultural crop that is affected from harvest to harvest by changes in weather conditions, including temperature and levels of precipitation (just like wine grapes!). Second, we source our whole leaf teas from single gardens, and on occasion, we are forced to find new gardens and new tea crops. Despite these variables, we always endeavor to source quality organic tea that tastes as much like the previous crop as possible.
- Why isn't Jasmine Petal labeled organic, like most of your other teas?
The Jasmine Petal Green tea is not organic because the Jasmine flower petals we include in the tea are not organic. It is incredibly difficult to source organic Jasmine flowers at this time, but we continue to work toward this. Here's a fun fact about infusing tea with the scent of Jasmine!
- Where is your tea packed?
We pack the majority of our tea in Asia because we can pack the tea much fresher there, as it is closer to the tea source. Most of our teas are grown in China and India - the world's premier tea growing regions. We have staff on site to inspect each shipment, everyday. We don't face the transit delays that most tea companies who pack in the U.S. do. Our tea goes from the garden to the store shelf in less than six months, which is about a year faster than most tea companies.
Our Organic Peppermint (which is grown in eastern Washington state) and Organic Chamomile are packed in British Columbia, Canada. Our Paisley Tea Co.™ teas are packed in Philadelphia, USA.
- Are any of your teas sourced in Japan?
No. At one point we did source some green tea from Japan (long before the earthquake and resulting nuclear disaster). However, the Chinese started growing high-quality organic Japanese-style teas that rivaled the traditional Japanese teas. Now all of the green teas we use in our sachets are grown in China.
- Does tea your expire?
Our teas technically do not expire. However, they will taste their best if consumed within the first two years. All of our teas are stamped on the side or bottom of the product with a "best by" date. This "best by" date is determined by the date it is freshly packed.
- Your sachet is derived from cornstarch; can I drink your tea if I have a corn allergy?
The sachets no longer contain the properties that would affect people with those plant allergies because the chemical structure of the corn has been altered to have a plastic character. More information on our sachets can be found on our website.
- Some of your teas taste sweet. Do you sweeten them/do they have calories?
We do not put any sweeteners in our teas. We leave the sweetening up to the discretion of our customers. Brewed tea does not contain any calories, so you can sip carefree! In fact, while we're not scientists or nutritionists, we hear that green tea can even promote weight loss. Our knowledge center has more information on health benefits of tea.
- How much caffeine is in a cup of tea?
As reference, coffee contains around 120-200 mg of caffeine per cup. Black teas have approximately 50 mg of caffeine; green and white teas have around 30 mg of caffeine. Rooibos and herbal teas are all naturally caffeine free.
For more information on tea and caffeine, read on.
- If there is caffeine in tea, won't I get dehydrated drinking it?
Caffeine in any beverage is a diuretic; diuretics dehydrate the body. Because herbal infusions do not have caffeine, they hydrate. Therefore, if you are drinking many cups of tea per day, it is better to make most of them herbal.
- I don't want the caffeine in my life, but I'm not that interested in herbals. Any suggestions?
We offer Decaf English Breakfast through our Paisley Tea Co™ line. Our chemical-free decaffeination process preserves the natural aromas and rich flavors of the tea. It tastes better, is better for you and is eco-friendly to boot.
- How much water should I use when brewing your tea?
Our two leaves™ tea sachets are best prepared with 12 - 16 ounces (355-473ml) of water. Use a good-sized mug, not a little teacup!
- How hot should the water be when brewing tea?
The proper temperature of the water depends on the type of tea. Black, red and herbal teas can handle water at a full boil of 212°F (100°C). In fact, black teas especially need very hot water to help draw out the complex flavors of the tea. Water for green and white teas should be at a light boil of 160-190°F (71-88°C). These teas can scald if the water is too hot. Fun fact: Two leaves™ headquarters is at an elevation of 6,611 ft (2,015 m) where water boils at around 200°F (93°C)! At what temperature does water boil where you live?
- How much loose tea should I use?
We recommend using 2 to 2.5 grams per 12 -16 oz when brewing our loose teas. That's the same amount of tea as is in our sachets, which are meant for a big mug. If you don't have a scale, you can use this basic guide: For black and green teas, use a slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea. But for bulkier teas (like full-leaf white tea) and big leaf/flower herbals (like chamomile), use more like a heaping tablespoon.
Of course, it's all a matter of preference, so we encourage you to experiment when brewing your loose tea to find out how to best prepare the cuppa' to your liking. Do you know where the term teaspoon comes from? Click here for the answer!
- Can I reuse a sachet?
We certainly won't discourage you from reusing your sachets; in fact, we're all about experimenting with tea! You'll likely experience different flavors in the second steep that you might enjoy.
- How do I keep my string from falling into my tea?
We have a little trick we use here at our office that involves tucking the tag into the clear sleeve (just don't rip it completely open) to keep it balanced on the outside of the cup. If you want to see an illustrated guide for this trick, we put it on our blog. Alternatively, some of us loop the string and tag around the mug handle.
- Where is two leaves tea company™ located?
Two leaves tea company™ was founded in 2005 in Basalt, Colorado by Richard Rosenfeld. He remains the CEO of the company, and our headquarters is still in Basalt! Basalt is located in the Roaring Fork Valley on the western slope of Colorado's Rocky Mountains, about 12 miles northwest of Aspen.
- How do I find out where I can buy your tea here in the U.S.?
Although we are a small company, you can find our tea in most Whole Foods Markets as well as many grocery and specialty stores across the U.S. Two leaves™ is also available in the finest coffee shops and restaurants.
We have a store locator on our website. This list is not, however, exhaustive as many suppliers purchase our teas through a distributer, making it difficult for us to track all two leaves™ retailers. Also, two leaves™ teas are sold in new locations every day, and groceries often change their inventory, so we strongly recommend calling prior to making a special trip to any stores.
If you cannot find two leaves™ teas locally, please ask your local café or retailer to carry two leaves™ tea! And of course, you can always shop from our full line of teas right here on our website: www.twoleavestea.com. Orders of $50 or more qualify for free ground shipping within the U.S. and Canada (excluding HI and AK). And we offer a customer rewards program to make shopping online worth your while.
- Where can I buy your tea in Canada?
At this time, two leaves'™ primary distribution in Canada is in foodservice (cafes and restaurants). Some of these cafes/coffee houses may also sell whole boxes of our tea. To find out where two leaves™ is served (and possibly sold) near you, we recommend that you phone our distributer's foodservice branch closest to you:
Richmond, BC
Toll-Free: 1-800-664-2711
Victoria, BC
Toll-Free: 1-800-770-6177
Vernon, BC
Toll-Free: 1-800-661-4020
Prince George, BC
Toll-Free: 1-888-565-1668
Calgary, Alberta
Toll-Free: 1-888-457-6363
Edmonton, Alberta
Toll-Free: 1-888-458-6363
Toronto, Ontario
Toll-Free: 1-888-530-8037The good news is that you can buy any of our products right here on our website. Because we have such great customers in Canada, we have extended our U.S. free shipping policy to our neighbors to the north! We currently offer free USPS Ground shipping on orders of $50 or more. All other orders have a flat rate shipping fee.
- Can I find your tea internationally, besides the U.S. and Canada?
At this time two leaves™ tea is in limited distribution internationally. However, we sell our tea online. And two leaves™ and Paisley Tea™ is shipped internationally via USPS First Class ($15.95) or Priority International Mail ($35.95). We offer flat rate shipping options for all destinations to keep it simple. You will be able to choose the shipping method before submitting your order.
- I used to buy two leaves™ tea at a local store, and now it's not there anymore. What's up?
We regret that you haven't been able to find us at your local grocery. Have you asked your grocer about it?
You can always find all our products here on our website. We have an online rewards program where you can earn points for every dollar you spend to get coupons for dollars off future purchases. Also, we offer free domestic shipping on orders $50 or more (excluding HI and AK).
Finally, we always encourage customers to let the manager/buyer at your local grocery know that you are interested in purchasing that flavor of two leaves%u2122 tea. It can only help us get that tea into the store!
- I had discovered your caffeine-free beverage, café Orzo, and now I can't find it anywhere. Where'd it go?
We decided to discontinue this product, and we will not be bringing it back in the future. We loved Café Orzo, but it just didn't make sense for us to sell it anymore. It was taking our energy away from what we do best: tea!
If you liked Café Orzo because it's caffeine-free, you should know we have a great Decaf English Breakfast tea from our new line of teas - Paisley Tea Co. - that you might enjoy.
- How can I sell two leaves™ in my store?
Two leaves tea company™ offers a complete line of tea for café, restaurant, grocery, hotel, spa, and gift stores. Upgrade your tea program to a premier offering, experience great customer service, and build your business with better margins. Please click here to sign-up to be a two leaves™ wholesaler
- I lost the e-mail with my promo code for $10 off that I received though reward points. What should I do?
Send an e-mail to support@twoleavestea.com, and we will help you out. We don't want our loyal customers to miss out on this great benefit!
- Do you have a catalogue listing all of your tea?
We try to limit the amount of paper we use, so we don't publish a retail catalogue. The best way for you to learn about our teas is for you to do some exploring here on our website. Or just give us a call at 888-688-4150, and we'd be happy to discuss our products with you.
- Can I get some free samples of your tea?
We cannot send you free samples, but we do sell a tea sampler on our site that contains one of each of our 18 varieties of tea sachets. It's a great way to try all our teas and find your favorites! We also sell a sampler box with three of our best-selling teas.
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