Little Woods Blog

Tag: tea

  • 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

  • Recipe: Agua de Jamaica (Hibiscus Iced Tea)

    Recipe: Agua de Jamaica (Hibiscus Iced Tea)

    Happy Cinco de Mayo! Food, festivals, and family fill this Mexican/ Mexican-American holiday! Bring a taste of this joyful celebration into your home this year with Spiced Hibiscus Iced Tea – a classic drink served in Mexican taquerias! It’s a great mocktail option to serve along side your favorite margarita!

    Here at Little Woods we mix up a special batch the week of Cinco de Mayo as our featured drink until it runs out — which is usually pretty quickly! First made based on a Agua de Jamaica (Hibiscus Iced Tea) recipe over at Simply Recipes, we’ve adapted it over the years for our own tastes and tea bar service. Below is our own variation:

    Little Woods’ Agua de Jamaica Adaptation

    4 cups water
    1 cup dried hibiscus flowers whole (cut would work also)
    3/4 cup sugar
    2 x 2.75in cinnamon sticks
    1t. dried ginger root c/s
    1t. whole allspice berries
    1/4t. whole cloves

    1. Add spices and sugar to water and bring to a boil. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
    2. Remove from heat and add hibiscus flowers. Let steep for 20 minutes.
    3. Strain into a pitcher.
    4. Top with 4 cups cold water. 

    For a sparkling twist, keep as a concentrate and add 1 part concentrate, 1 part carbonated water to a glass when serving.

    Want recipe ideas and shop updates delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Little Woods eNews and save 10% off your next order!

    Enjoy!

    – Little Woods –

  • Tea so Good, It’s Presidential!

    Tea so Good, It’s Presidential!

    Obama Oval meeting with King of Jordan Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

    Today is president’s day and we wanted to celebrate the favorite teas of our Presidents thoughout the history of our county.

    Disclaimer: This is made up for fun and based only loosely on guess work and a few facts. This article in no way is endorced, approved, or supported by the White House or any presdient. I have met Obama once, he came and talked to my class at my community college when I was 17 year’s old when he was running for Senate in Illinois. I’ve never had the chance to actually offer him tea. But if I do…

    It all started with the question of, if Obama ever came to Ames and ordered a tea from Little Woods, what would it be? With a little digging, the recommendation was obvious: Eternal Youth Iced Tea!

    And it just kept going from there. Here’s a round up of five presidents and the teas they would enjoy the most at Little Woods.

    Biden:

    Fireside

    Not a tea drinker — we get it… you just haven’t found one you like… YET. Fireside is our gateway tea for coffee drinkers like Biden. When he visits the shop, it’s what we will recommend.

    Obama:

    Eternal Youth

    Naturally caffeine free, it’s tart and fruity. Refreshing iced or hot. I like it unsweetened, but many love it with a little simple syrup or honey.

    Roosevelt:

    Lapsang Souchong

    What started out as an accident has turned into a staple of russian tea drinking. A chinese black tea that is smoked with pine.

    Jefferson:

    Namaste Green Tea

    A green tea that is smooth and subtly sweet. It has hand chopped freeze dried strawberries and lemon balm mixed with our Mao Jian green tea.

    Washington:

    Keemun Black Tea

    One of our favorite black teas, it’s a chinese black tea (red tea) that has a malty robust flavor. It’s wonderfully smooth on it’s own or with a little milk.

    Bush Sr:

    Gyokuro

    Our top shelf loose leaf green tea, we were lucky to meet this Japanese tea company two summers ago. Vegetal with a rich mineral tone. The color is a vivid yellow green when brewed to perfection.

    Want to get a little steeped in the history of Tea at the White House?

    I really enjoyed these articles and books about the subject, particularly the first by Sara Shacket of Tea Happiness.

    (this is the main image that Tea Happiness used, with a degree in painting and a love of art history I couldn’t help but share it with you)

    Happy Presidents Day and Happy Tea Drinking!

  • Lunar New Year Tea Recipe

    Lunar New Year Tea Recipe

    This year, we wanted to share with you a fun way to incorporate tea in your Lunar New Year celebration.

    While not a tradition Jason or I grew up with, it’s one we now love. On New Year’s Day, the kids make the tea and serve it to the adults. And not just any tea, a sweetened fruit tea.

    What is this sweet fruit tea you ask? Well, it’s lovingly simple – candied fruits chopped up and mixed with tea and cane sugar.

    We’ve put our own twist on it and tossed it with jasmine too. Here’s how to make your own sweet Lunar New Year tea.

    Ingredients

    Watch the videos for some extra blending tips as I chat with our staff about mixing up this fun sweet tea.

    Blending the Tea

    1. Take each strip of candied mango and dice into 1/4 inch pieces or smaller. If it’s sticking to your knife, sprinkle with granulated sugar – the sugar will stick to the sticky parts and make it easier to cut.

    2. Toss the green tea and mango together, add in and gently crush the jasmine blossoms.

    3. Keep mixing until you have a fairly even distribution.

    Brewing the Tea

    1. Bring your kettle up to 185 F.
    2. Add 1 heaping teaspoon to your infuser and place in a cup.
    3. Pour water over leaves and let steep 3-4 minutes.
    4. Remove infuser and enjoy!
    Fini!

    Until next time!

  • Debuting Little Woods Tea Catering

    Debuting Little Woods Tea Catering

    Little Woods is happy to announce the official launch of Little Woods Catering! We are now taking orders and reservations for brewed tea service for all sized groups and events. Whether you want to indulge your next book club, delight your baby shower guests, or thrill your wedding party of 100 with tea from Little Woods, we’ve got you covered. Our main goal is to provide every guest with a delicious cup of tea.


    Tea Catering Pick Up Menu

    Little Woods Catering Servings Price Cups Addon
    Insulated Tea Carafe
    1.25 liters / 42oz    		 5-6 servings $12.50 $3 add on
    Insulted Airpot
    3 liters / 100 oz    		 10-12 servings $20.00 $5 add on
    Insulated Dispenser
    5 gallons/ 640oz    		 80-90 servings $85.00 $20 add on
    Milk, sweetener & stirs
    (dairy or dairy free)    		 quart $4.00
    Honey Bear $5.50
    Snack Cups $1/per serving — choose from your shop favorites:
    Nori Maki, Stam Oublies, Chocolate Covered Ginger, Chocolate Covered Lemon Peel, Sea Salt Chocolate Almonds & Apricot

    _______________________________

    Note: special pricing applies for premium teas (aka Silver needle, pu’erh, Dark ‘n’ Lush, etc). Please note which premium tea you are interested in and we will send you a quote.

    Be green! Please note: to reduce waste, we do not offer disposable tea boxes. All tea is brewed into reusable insulated servers. We also encourage our tea customers to use their own mugs whenever possible instead of paper cups.

    Tea Catering Request Form

    Please fill out our catering form to tell us about your tea catering needs, and we will get back to you soon to coordinate your service. Thank you for supporting your local artisan tea shop!

    [contact-form to=”info@littlewoodsherbal.com” subject=”Tea Catering Inquiry”][contact-field label=”Name” type=”name” required=”1″][contact-field label=”Email” type=”email” required=”1″][contact-field label=”Phone” type=”text” required=”1″][contact-field label=”Group Size” type=”text” required=”1″][contact-field label=”Event Type” type=”text” required=”1″][contact-field label=”Date of event” type=”date” required=”1″][contact-field label=”Notes” type=”text”][/contact-form]

    Pickup and drop off only, and a refundable deposit for supplies will apply. To inquire on availability, please fill out the form above. If you’re looking for a next-day pickup, the best way to reach a Little Woods is to call them directly at 515-233-3838.

    Catering cancellation policy: Unless otherwise communicated, confirmed catering orders will be charged the full service fee if not canceled at least 48 hours before the event. Beyond that, orders canceled within 5 business days will be charged 50%, at least 5 business days notice is required for a full refund.