Little Woods Blog

Author: kristin

  • Tea Brewing Basics 7/23/25

    Tea Brewing Basics 7/23/25

    Discover the Art of Tea Brewing: Join Our Tea Basics Class!

    Are you ready to dive into the world of tea and elevate your brewing skills? Join us for our Tea Brewing Basics Class, where you’ll learn the essentials of brewing tea at home, how to make Yerba Maté traditionally, and enjoy a guided tasting of four delightful teas!

    Tea Brewing Basics with Beth Wilbur

    Join our Tea Bar Manager, Beth Wilbur, for a fun and flavorful introduction to the world of tea brewing. Here’s what to expect during this 30-minute class:

    1. Learn & Taste

    Explore fundamental methods of brewing tea—from traditional steeping to cozy homestyle techniques. You’ll discover approachable ways to make tea part of your daily rhythm. As you learn, you’ll also taste newest yerba maté blend.

    2. Yerba Maté Demo

    Curious about yerba maté? Enjoy a relaxed demo where Beth will walk you through its preparation and flavor when brewed traditionally vs western style.

    3. Details:

    • Date & Time: Wednesday, July 23 | 1:00pm – 1:30pm
    • Duration: 30 minutes
    • Cost: $10 per person
    • Spots Available: Only 8 spots, so be sure to reserve your spot soon!

    How to Sign Up:
    To secure your place in this intimate and informative class, sign up online to reserve your spot today!

    Don’t miss out on this opportunity to enhance your tea brewing skills and enjoy a fun, interactive experience. We can’t wait to see you there!

    RSVP Today

  • Tea Brewing Basics 5/21/25

    Tea Brewing Basics 5/21/25

    Discover the Art of Tea Brewing: Join Our Tea Basics Class!

    Are you ready to dive into the world of tea and elevate your brewing skills? Join us for our Tea Brewing Basics Class, where you’ll learn the essentials of brewing tea at home, how to make Matcha using a whisk and bowl, and enjoy a guided tasting of four delightful teas!

    Hosted by Tea Bar Manager Beth Wilbur, here’s what to expect:

    1. Learn & Taste:
    Explore fundamental methods of brewing tea. From traditional steeping to lazy homestyle, we’ll cover techniques that will help you incorporate brewing tea at home into your daily routine with ease. You’ll also taste Japanese loose leaf tea so you can see and taste how it’s different from matcha!

    2. Matcha Demo:
    Curious about matcha? Join us for a relaxed demo where we’ll explore its unique flavor and simple preparation. Whether you’re new to matcha or just want to learn more, this is a great opportunity to discover what makes it so special.

    3. Details:

    • Date & Time: Wednesday, May 21 | 1:00pm – 1:30pm
    • Duration: 30 minutes
    • Cost: $10 per person
    • Spots Available: Only 8 spots, so be sure to reserve your spot soon!

    How to Sign Up:
    To secure your place in this intimate and informative class, sign up online to reserve your spot today!

    Don’t miss out on this opportunity to enhance your tea brewing skills and enjoy a fun, interactive experience. We can’t wait to see you there!

    RSVP Today

  • Tea Brewing Basics 4/23/25

    Tea Brewing Basics 4/23/25

    Discover the Art of Tea Brewing: Join Our Tea Basics Class!

    Are you ready to dive into the world of tea and elevate your brewing skills? Join us for our Tea Brewing Basics Class, where you’ll learn the essentials of brewing tea at home, how to make Matcha using a whisk and bowl, and enjoy a guided tasting of four delightful teas!

    Hosted by Tea Bar Manager Beth Wilbur, here’s what to expect:

    1. Learn & Taste:
    Explore four fundamental methods of brewing tea. From traditional steeping to lazy homestyle, we’ll cover techniques that will help you incorporate brewing tea at home into your daily routine with ease. You’ll also taste four different teas, each showcasing a unique flavor profiles from our shop.

    2. Matcha Demo:
    Curious about matcha? Join us for a relaxed demo where we’ll explore its unique flavor and simple preparation. Whether you’re new to matcha or just want to learn more, this is a great opportunity to discover what makes it so special.

    3. Details:

    • Date & Time: Wednesday, April 23 | 1:00pm – 1:30pm
    • Duration: 30 minutes
    • Cost: $10 per person
    • Spots Available: Only 8 spots, so be sure to reserve your spot soon!

    How to Sign Up:
    To secure your place in this intimate and informative class, sign up using our secure online registration page.

    Don’t miss out on this opportunity to enhance your tea brewing skills and enjoy a fun, interactive experience. We can’t wait to see you there!

    RSVP Today

  • Tea Brewing Basics 3/12

    Tea Brewing Basics 3/12

    Discover the Art of Tea Brewing: Join Our Tea Basics Class!

    Are you ready to dive into the world of tea and elevate your brewing skills? Join us for our Tea Brewing Basics Class, where you’ll learn the essentials of brewing tea at home, how to use a Gaiwan for full leaf teas, and enjoy a guided tasting of four delightful teas!

    Hosted by Tea Bar Manager Beth Wilbur, here’s what to expect:

    1. Learn & Taste:
    Explore four fundamental methods of brewing tea. From traditional steeping to lazy homestyle, we’ll cover techniques that will help you incorporate brewing tea at home into your daily routine with ease. You’ll also taste four different teas, each showcasing a unique flavor profiles from our shop.

    2. Gaiwan Demo:
    Ever wondered what all those little lidded cups on our shelves are? Those are Gaiwans – a lovely traditional way to brew full leaf teas like greens and oolongs. Learn about how to use them and the teas that come alive using this method.

    3. Details:

    • Date & Time: Wednesday, March 12 | 1:00pm – 1:30pm
    • Duration: 30 minutes
    • Cost: $10 per person
    • Spots Available: Only 10 spots, so be sure to reserve your spot soon!

    How to Sign Up:
    To secure your place in this intimate and informative class, sign up using our secure online registration page.

    Don’t miss out on this opportunity to enhance your tea brewing skills and enjoy a fun, interactive experience. We can’t wait to see you there!

    RSVP Today

  • Tea Brewing Basics 11/6

    Tea Brewing Basics 11/6

    Discover the Art of Tea Brewing: Join Our Tea Basics Class!

    Are you ready to dive into the world of tea and elevate your brewing skills? Join us for our Tea Brewing Basics Class, where you’ll learn the essentials of brewing tea at home and enjoy a guided tasting of four delightful teas!

    Hosted by Tea Bar Manager Beth Wilbur, here’s what to expect:

    1. Learn & Taste:
    Explore four fundamental methods of brewing tea. From traditional steeping to lazy homestyle, we’ll cover techniques that will help you incorporate brewing tea at home into your daily routine with ease. You’ll also taste four different teas, each showcasing a unique flavor profiles from our shop.

    2. Tea Latte Demo:
    Ever wondered how to make a creamy, delicious tea latte at home? Watch as we demonstrate how to create this popular drink using basic kitchen equipment. You’ll leave with the confidence to recreate it in your own kitchen!

    3. Details:

    • Date & Time: Wednesday, November 6 | 1:00pm – 1:30pm
    • Duration: 30 minutes
    • Cost: $10 per person
    • Spots Available: Only 10 spots, so be sure to reserve your spot soon!

    How to Sign Up:
    To secure your place in this intimate and informative class, sign up using our secure online registration page.

    Don’t miss out on this opportunity to enhance your tea brewing skills and enjoy a fun, interactive experience. We can’t wait to see you there!

    RSVP Today

  • Chinese Pu’er Tea Service at the Shop

    First Friday Chinese Tea Service May 2, 2025 | 1 PM – 1:50PM

    Join us for our First Friday Chinese Tea Service, where we explore the rich history and tradition of Pu’er (dark) tea. The service begins at 11am and reservations are required as seating is limited to 8 attendees.

    Hosted by Kristin M Roach or Beth Wilbur this tea service will guide you through the fascinating history of Pu’er tea, both here at Little Woods and around the world.

    RSVP Today

  • Brewing Phoenix Oolong

    Brewing Phoenix Oolong

    Brewing Phoenix Oolong | Mi Lan Xiang (米蘭香)

    Origin: Phoenix Mountains, Guangdong Province, China

    Cultivar: Mi Lan Xiang, subspecies of Shui Xian 

    Grown in the Fenghuang (Phoenix Mountains)

    Oolong Style: dān cōng 單樅 (“single bush”)

    One of our favorite full leaf oolongs for daily drinking. Phoenix Oolong (Mi Lan Xiang/米蘭香) is a dān cōng (單樅/ “single bush”) tea. Grown in the Phoenix mountain range, once a good tea is discovered, it is propagated via cuttings into a whole grove. That’s what the “single bush” refers to, that the whole grove is genetically identical.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF3TfnuzK7g?si=xTLHEanAagdifJsX&w=560&h=315]

    While there are many types of Don cong Phoenix Oolongs made by skilled tea masters in the region, the one we carry is typically harvested in the late summer/fall, the mature leaves are withered and then charcoal roasted. This special treatment creates what has become known as a Honey Orchard fragrance — sweet caramel tones with a lovely floral note.

    Long leaves are given a slight twist so when brewing, it’s best to use a large infuser or tea pot so the leaves can steep without being crushed. This special tea is wonderful for all day enjoyment as the leaves can be re-steeped several times, usually about 3-4 times if you use a 3 minute infusion. Traditionally, one starts a pot of tea in the morning and re-steeps the same leaves throughout the day, by the evening time the caffeine is mostly extracted.

    Phoenix oolong is a lovely tea to add other botanicals too as its robust flavor stands up well with other complex flavors. We use it not just in our Autumnal Equinox, but also our Pretty Penny blend that’s available year round.

    Brew Instructions: 1-2t. (4-5g) | 12oz water | 190 – 200°F | 3-4 minutes | 3-4 infusions

  • Tea Brewing Basics 8/21

    Just getting started in loose leaf tea? Want some new tea brewing skills? This class is made just for you. We know it can be intimidating (or feel cumbersome) when you are just getting started. Tea bar manager Beth Wilbur will guide you through our four favorite ways to brew tea at home.

    During the session, you’ll have the opportunity to sample four distinct types of tea, each offering its own unique flavor and aroma. Join us and discover the pleasure of tea brewing.

    Tea Brewing Basics

    • Thursday, August 21, 2024
    • 1:00 – 1:30ish
    • 136 Main Street, Ames, Iowa 50010
    • $10/person
    RSVP Today

    Standing room available if seating is sold out.

  • Honey Rosemary Lemonade

    Honey Rosemary Lemonade

    Whether you’re hitting the gym hard or unwinding by the pool, sometimes you need a boost that doesn’t come from caffeine. We’re thrilled to share our most popular drink from last month at the tea bar with you! Now, you can make it at home and enjoy it whenever you’re craving a refreshing pick-me-up.

    There’s actually three parts to this recipe:

    1. The Honey Lemon Syrup
    2. The Crush It! Tisane Concentrate
    3. Mixing it all together

    Let’s get started. First the syrup.

    1. Making the Honey Lemon Syrup

    • 1/4 cup Honey
    • 1/2 cup Lemon Juice
    • 1 T. Water

    Directions: Mix all the ingredients together until the honey and lemon juice is well combined. Store in the fridge for up to 7 days.

    2. Making the Crush IT! Concentrate

    • 1oz Crush IT tisane
    • 1 quart boiling water
    • quart mason jar (optional – just a convenient size)

    Directions: Steep the Crush IT for 10 minutes. Strain into the jar and fill the rest of the way with ice until you have a quart again and store in fridge for up to one week. Follow our Iced tea by the cup recipe to make a single cup worth at a time.

    3. Making the Honey Rosemary Lemonade

    Ingredients

    • 1/2 cup Crush it Concentrate
    • 1/2 cup Cold Water
    • 1oz Honey Lemon Syrup

    Directions: Put into a pint mason jar full of ice, cover with lid, shake, pour into your favorite cup or enjoy right from the jar!

  • Strawberry Matcha Latte

    Strawberry Matcha Latte

    Hey there, tea lovers! We have some exciting news to share. Our iced strawberry matcha latte, once a limited-time special, was such a hit that we’ve decided to give it a permanent spot on our blog. This vibrant drink combines the best of both worlds with its sweet, tangy strawberry flavor and smooth, earthy matcha finish. We’re so happy you loved it as much as we do, and now you can make it at home anytime you crave a delicious pick-me-up!

    Make the Strawberry Matcha Latte

    Ingredients

    • 1/2 t. – 1 t. (2-4g) Café Grade Matcha
    • 3 oz. (90g) Cool Water
    • 1 c. (110g) Milk of Choice
    • 1 1/2 oz. (48g) Strawberry purée (recipe below)
    • 1 c. Ice

    Directions

    1. Add the matcha to a bowl with the cold water and whisk.
    2. In a 16 oz glass, pour in 1 1/2 oz. (48g) Strawberry purée.
    3. Add Ice.
    4. Slowly pour in milk.
    5. layer the matcha by pouring slowly over the top.

    Make the Strawberry Purée

    • 1/3 Cup Sugar
    • 1/3 Cup Strawberries
    • 1/3 Cup Water

    Put in Blender and process until smooth.

    We hope you enjoy making and sipping on our iced strawberry matcha latte as much as we do. If you’re looking for more delicious and unique beverage recipes, be sure to explore our blog’s recipe category. From classic favorites to innovative new drinks, there’s something for everyone. Happy brewing!