For Bigelow Tea, it all started in Ruth C. Bigelow’s kitchen more than 60 years ago with her splendid creation of Constant Comment. Bigelow Tea has been providing tea time traditions ever since.  We’re always excited to invite you inside Ruth’s granddaughter Cindi Bigelow’s own fabulous kitchen, where here she demonstrates how to take food and drink from ordinary to extraordinary with – you guessed it – Constant Comment!

You’ve got to try the Constant Comment Cosmo! It might just inspire you to invent your own original Bigelow Tea recipe and enter it in our Recipe Contest! Who knows? Maybe YOU could win a year’s supply of Bigelow Tea!

Click here to view the embedded video.

At Bigelow Tea, we’re devoted to our Family, so, it’s no surprise that Cindi Bigelow was on board when her family of employees approached her about the concept of a Bigelow Tea Rap Video! The video, written and performed by Bigelow Tea blender Jamaar Wright, pays homage to the positive work environment and community at Bigelow tea.

Several Bigelow Tea employees (and Cindi herself !) are seen dancing and grooving in the background -  join in and dance with us!

This is special. Enjoy!

The French expression “chacun à son goût” (“to each one his taste”) is apropos when referring to the perfect cup of tea.  Our neighbors across the pond in the UK have a great affinity for tea …  and very opinionated theories as to what constitutes a perfect cuppa!  The British Waitrose Food Illustrated conducted a survey to get to the root of the matter, gathering a panel of 70 people dubbed “The Tea Council.” This panel reached a consensus for the perfect English cup of tea:

• English Breakfast loose leaf tea
• In a mug
• Steeped for 3 ½ minutes
• Made in a pre-warmed China pot
• Tea in first
• Splash of milk
• No sugar

On this side of the Atlantic, tastes vary considerably because our culture is a melting pot. We have so many people from a variety of cultures and traditions, each with their own concept of the perfect cup of tea. As for us at Bigelow Tea, we focus on the quality of our tea and the brewing details. Here’s how we’d make our perfect cup:

• Bigelow Tea (any type, any flavor)
• Fresh cold water
• For Black, Oolong and Herb teas:  bring water to a boil, then pour immediately over tea  (steep Black/Oolong teas 1-2 minutes; Herbal teas, 3-5 minutes)
• For Green and White teas: bring water just to when bubbles begin to form, then pour over tea (steep Green teas 2-4 minutes)

For further instruction, here’s Cindi Bigelow herself, giving us her best advice on the perfect cup–check it out, she’s the expert!

Click here to view the embedded video.

So, there we have it.  Now it’s your turn: comment here or visit our Facebook Page and let us know what makes your perfect cup of tea!

Image via Blogs.voices.com.

Who says green beer is the “it” drink for St. Paddy’s Day? Why not shake things up with a TEA-licious alternative –Bigelow Tea’s signature Greenie Mar-TEA-ni! The recipe’s key ingredient, of course, is Bigelow Green Tea, and that’s altogether fitting, especially given Ireland’s affinity for tea.

Cindi Bigelow, President (and resident Greenie Mar-TEA-ni expert), beautifully demonstrates how to mix one up. Hint: there’s some serious multigenerational shaking going on!

But don’t worry about flouting tradition. Turns out the Irish and would-be Irish around the world have a long history of reinventing ways to honor the patron saint of Ireland, and Irish culture in general. Parades? Those originated in New York City, not Ireland, in 1762! Alcohol? Until the 1970s, Irish pubs weren’t allowed to open on March 17^th, since St. Patrick’s Day had traditionally been a religious festival. Dying everything green? Chicago got really creative in 1962 by dying the Chicago River green, and a new tradition was born.

Of course, reinvention is emblematic of the Irish-American experience. Irish journalist Rory Fitzgerald offers a lovely reflection on this – and why we all claim to be just a little bit Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. So raise a Greenie Mar-TEA-ni toast to all things Irish!

The Greenie Mar-TEA-ni

Ingredients:

6 Bigelow® Green Tea tea bags (can use any flavored Bigelow Green tea)
1¼ cups boiling water
1 tablespoon sugar
4 ounces vodka
Garnish with a twist of lemon

Yield: Serves 4

Instructions:

Place Bigelow® Green Tea tea bags into a measuring cup and add 1¼ cups boiling water. Let brew for 3 minutes. Remove tea bags.  Add sugar and stir until it dissolves.

To chill, place tea concentrate in the freezer for 30-45 minutes.

To make a martini, take two ounces of the cooled sweet tea and mix it with one ounce of the vodka. Shake with ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a twist of lemon.

Photo: by geishaboy500 via flickr.com

Perhaps it’s Wally the Green Monster at Fenway Park in Boston, or maybe Cindi, Joe and Phil tossing around tea talk in New York? Watch the clips and vote below, and support your favorite clip in the comments section!

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Which is your favorite Bigelow Tea Video?

Did you know that there’s a lively debate in the tea-drinking world about the benefits of loose vs. bagged tea?

It may surprise you, given the immense popularity of teabags, but some traditional tea purists tend to favor loose tea. Why? For some, the issue is quality. With loose tea, you definitely see what you’re getting, but what might be hidden in that tea bag? Many manufacturers use low grades of tea, known as fannings or dust in their blends. The finer the tea leaves, the more tannins are released and the more bitter the tea becomes. If that tea bag is hiding tiny leaves and dust of poor quality, your tea will not be the refreshing, flavorful brew that you deserve.

At Bigelow Tea, we understand the importance of consistent quality.  We invite you to tear open one of our tea bags: you will see high-quality leaves of a good size, and real spices – that’s because Bigelow Tea refuses to use dust or flavor “prills.” Cindi Bigelow beautifully demonstrates this information in this video, illustrating the quality that you can expect from Bigelow Tea:

Click here to view the embedded video.

There is no denying the pure convenience of tea in the ever-accommodating tea bag. No mess, no measuring. You can even tuck one or two in your purse for tea emergencies!

So, while we do provide loose tea options, we also package all our delicious teas in the resourceful tea bag.  We are happy to report that teabags are here to stay! Whether loose or bagged, you can always be confident that Bigelow Tea will provide you with only the best quality leaves, spices and expertise for the best-tasting cup of tea possible!

We couldn’t think of a better spokesperson!

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No matter where you live, we hope you take some time away from your own seasonal flurry of shopping, family obligations and year-end deadlines and relax with a warm cup of tea — or, if you must, a cup to go.

What better forum than sunny Miami for Bigelow Tea’s classic Sweet Southern Tea and fresh-brewed, unsweetened iced tea? So if you’re in Miami at the Sun Life Stadium, be sure to rehydrate with the classic taste of Bigelow Iced Tea!

Cindi Bigelow tells us more about Bigelow Tea and Sun Life Stadium in this new video!

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There is nothing more powerful than an alliance with those who share the same values.  Bruegger’s is one such business – providing a great value with delectable and savory foods; and now Bruegger’s is complimented by the aromatic and very flavorful addition of Biglelow Teas!

When Bruegger’s decided to provide Bigelow Tea‘s organic teas as their tea of choice (in over 300 neighborhood bakeries across the nation) we were delighted!  So our very own Cindi Bigelow spent a morning making and serving Bruegger’s famous kettle-boiled-then-baked bagels, with the gentle guidance of Bruegger’s CEO Jim Greco – all captured on TEA-V (our video)!

And you know that both Bigelow Tea and Bruegger’s pay the goodness forward by helping sustain their local communities. You can join the alliance and help give back to your local neighborhood – because it’s the right thing to do!

Watch Cindi’s excellent bagel and tea adventure in this new video, all about the new Bruegger’s–and–Bigelow Tea experience!

The three-minute video features two of our many mint-flavored teas: Plantation Mint (black tea with spearmint leaves) and Mint Medley (herbal tea with peppermint leaves, spearmint leaves, rose hips, lemon peel, and hibiscus)!

Bigelow Tea – Minty Fresh from Michelle Solomon on Vimeo.

An enthusiastic taste tester to be sure, Michelle notes that she has a penchant for loose leaf mint teas too; we hope she’ll try our Novus Egyptian Mint Tea, with full leaf top-grade peppermint! Other Bigelow Tea minty selections include Peppermint Herb Tea and Green Tea with Mint: all of them cool, refreshing and soothing. Just what we need for these busy fall days!