By Makaela Willis, Marketing & Owner Services Assistant
Created in Seattle, WA in 2016, this woman-owned business is about guilt-free indulgence with a soft feminine flair. With teas that are based off sweet treats like Red Velvet Cake and Raspberry Truffles. These beautifully crafted teas are oh so tasty and deserve to be served in your fine China with your pinky up. They’re also one of GreenTree’s Inclusive Trade Brands!
Pinky Up makes beautiful and gift-able items for anyone in your life who enjoys the softer things. The pastel colors and floral patterns on their tea mugs and to-go mugs had my fingers itching to place in cart. I could barely contain my excitement. They have both caffeinated and non-caffeinated teas. They have wellness teas and sugars too! GreenTree carries a few of their delicious dessert teas (and that is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the teas and tea ware they make). I now have my eye on a few different teas and quite a few teacups, kettles, and more.
My best friend Josie gave me my first Pinky Up tea for my birthday! I now have both the Honey Lavender and Red Velvet Cake teas. They are very proudly placed on my coffee/tea bar in my apartment because they are so pretty! No big clunky boxes of individually wrapped tea bags, Pinky Up teas are in a sleek and elegant container and are loose-leaf teas that makes me feel like I am in a period drama when I am drinking it.
I have savored Pinky Up teas a few times and one of the many things I love about it is that it does not need sweeteners. I grew up in a sweet tea household and still have not broken the habit, but these teas make it easy to not add honey or sugar to my cup. The Honey Lavender is lovely when the stresses of being a college student come crashing down on me. It makes me feel at peace. I personally think this would be a great tea for a tea party, but I have sipped it a few time while journaling and planning out my day the night before. The Red Velvet Cake tastes just like a wonderful slice of Red Velvet Cake but in warm liquid form. I am very interested in trying both teas iced to see if they are just as good cold on a hot summer day (like the ones we have had recently) as they are warm.
Speaking of iced tea, there are a few ways you can make iced tea without turning on your kettle or heating up your space with your stove. Here are three recipes starting with a personal favorite that reminds me of my childhood, Sun tea!
Sun Tea: Scrub and sanitize your glass (not plastic) container to make sure you won’t have any nasty critters in your tea. This is very important because Sun Tea gets hot enough for bacteria to reproduce, but not hot enough to kill them. Place tea bags and fresh water in your container and let sit for a few hours until the water has changed color. You can add sweetener at this point. Never add your sweetener to Sun Tea before brewing! Refrigerate immediately and consume within 24 hours.
Cold Brew Tea: Place your tea bags, with tabs hanging out, in your pitcher and fill with cold water. Place in the fridge and leave for 6-12 hours. Tea made right before bed will be ready in time for breakfast, and tea made when you get up will be ready in time for dinner. Remove the tea bags or tea ball and serve.
Herbal Iced Teas: Traditional iced tea is usually made with black tea, but there are many other options. Whether you’re looking for a caffeine-free tea, or just want to try some new flavors, herbal teas present a world of possibilities. Peppermint is wonderfully refreshing, as are citrus teas. Spiced or Chai teas are a nice variation and go well with Indian food or desserts. Lavender is an aromatic, if unusual tea, that pairs nicely with a slice of lemon, or fish dishes. If you like it hot, try it chilled. Odds are you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
If you want to learn more about Pinky Up or see why I have so many of the items on my wish list now, here is their website.