It’s time for a recap of my trip to Boulder, Colorado with Celestial Seasonings!
I’m excited to share all of the fun with you today! And, at the end of this post, you will find a pretty stellar giveaway packed with items I picked out just for you guys (including some of my favorite teas, a super cute Anthropologie-esque mug, a tumbler, tea kettle, adorable potholder and more). Let’s get to it!
Visiting Celestial Seasonings
Thursday of last week was jam-packed with all things tea! Our morning kicked off with breakfast at the hotel before our group of bloggers hopped in a car and headed to Celestial Seasonings’ headquarters, located on Sleepytime Drive. How appropriate, right!?
Those of us from out of town got a kick out of the adorable prairie dogs that greeted us from the fields as we drove onto the property, but even their cute little faces couldn’t top the welcome we received from the Celestial Seasonings team.
All of the employees greeted us on the front lawn with signs and smiles. It made us feel very welcome and we made sure to thank everyone for their enthusiastic greeting! (Just FYI, Celestial Seasonings offers a free factory tour in Boulder every day of the week!)
Of course we all were especially excited to meet the Sleepytime Bear!
The famous Sleepytime Bear has a cat named Chamomile and I did my best to convince him to get a dog, too, even though I’m pretty sure Sadie wouldn’t touch that bear with a ten-foot pole. She’s not exactly the bravest little creature.
After our warm welcome, it was time to warm our bellies with all the tea we could drink. I’m pretty sure I went to the bathroom every 30 minutes when I was there because I did not stop drinking tea. I loved trying so many new-to-me flavors, including Sweet Harvest Pumpkin (sweetened with a little stevia – so good!) and Cinnamon Apple Spice.
During the tasting, I truly did not try one tea I didn’t like, but there were two big standouts that quickly claimed the top prize in my eyes.
First place went to Bengal Spice herbal tea.
This fragrant tea tasted like the holidays in a cup and was incredibly flavorful thanks to cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and cloves. I was shocked to hear it wasn’t sweetened since it definitely has a sweet flavor. I also think it would be fabulous with a splash of almond milk. I made sure to buy two packs of this tea before we left.
Second place went to the Caramel Apple Dream herbal tea that included quintessential autumn flavors such as apple, cinnamon and maple. (I picked up a box of this one, too!)
Following the tea tasting, we were ushered into the main tour room where we learned more about the company’s beginnings and the direction they hope to go in the future. Founded in 1969 by Mo Siegel, Celestial Seasonings came to be when Mo and his friends decided to bring the blended herbal teas they made in the Colorado mountains to health food stores. The company continues Mo’s passion for herbal tea and many of the ingredients used in their teas come from the same farmers Celestial Seasonings has used for upwards of 30 years.
After learning a bit about the company, we were off to the next activity, but not before I quickly snagged a bottle of Celestial Seasonings kombucha.
I drank a bottle of the super green tropical blend and thought it was great. I am rather picky when it comes to kombucha since I’ve tried my fair share of kombucha I have not enjoyed, so I was happy to love this one!
And then it was off to do some more tea tasting, only this time we learned a bit about the brewing process. I clearly had a lot to learn because I always leave my tea bags in my mug when I make myself a cup of tea which is a big no-no.
Here are a few single-cup brewing tips for the most popular kinds of tea:
- Green Tea: To brew a great cup of green tea, place one tea bag in your cup. Pour very hot (just at the brink of boiling) water over the tea bag. Cover and steep 3 minutes. Remove tea bag and add lemon and/or sweetener if desired.
- Chai Tea: Place one tea bag in your favorite mug. Fill with 3/4 cup boiling water. Steep for 4 to 6 minutes. For authentic chai taste, remove tea bag and fill mug with 1/4 cup hot milk or dairy substitute. Sweeten to taste with sugar or honey.
- Black Tea: Place one tea bag in your cup and pour boiling water over it, cover and steep 3 to 5 minutes, depending on desired strength. Remove tea bag. We recommend adding honey to sweeten.
- Herbal Tea: Place one tea bag in your favorite cup. Add boiling water and let steep 4 to 6 minutes. Sweeten if you desire – we recommend honey!
Another quick tip: Squeeze the tea bag before removing it from your cup. Why? Tea leaves can absorb up to seven times their weight in water and compressing the bag enhances color and flavor.
Following our tea tasting, we sat down to a lunch that included fresh salads, salmon and sweet treats before it was time to slip into our marshmallow suits and head off on the factory tour.
During the tour, I chatted with our guide about the holiday teas which are some of my all-time favorites. (I’m looking at you Candy Cane Lane!) He told me that the inspiration behind their Nutcracker Sweet tea came from an 11-year-old girl on one of their factory tours. She was a ballerina and said they should make a holiday tea and call it “Nutcracker Sweet.” This eventually led to more favorites like Sugar Plum Spice.
No trip to the Celestial Seasonings factory is complete without a visit to the Mint Room, so we made sure to spend some time in the incredibly aromatic space where all of the mint is stored before we were done.
Our day at Celestial Seasonings concluded with a happy hour that included tea-infused cocktails.
My favorite was the Until Next Time cocktail made with vodka, chamomile simple syrup, lemon juice, egg whites and strawberry puree. It was fantastic!
And now it’s giveaway time!
Before we said goodbye to our friends at Celestial Seasonings, we were each given a gift card to use in the Tea Shop toward a giveaway for our readers. I obviously wanted to include some of my favorite teas, but I also added a few extra things that I hope you love!
- Celestial Seasonings Holiday Tea Sampler Pack (Candy Cane Lane, Gingerbread Spice, Sweet Harvest Pumpkin, Nutcracker Sweet)
- Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice Herbal Tea
- Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Extra Tea
- Alba Botannica Hawaiian Body Cream
- Alba Cherry Lip Balm
- WoodWick Candle in Bakery Cupcake (This smells amazing!)
- Festive Mug
- Aroma Gourmet Electric Digital Kettle
- Celestial Seasonings Tumbler
- Celestial Seasonings Teas with Altitude t-shirt
- Cute Potholder with Embroidered Towel
To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment below telling me about your favorite Celestial Seasonings tea or the kind of Celestial Seasonings tea you’d love to try!
I will randomly select a winner on Friday morning. Good luck!
Brenna Merrill says
I drink Sleepytime Peach every single night before bed! Definitely a favorite.
Stacey says
I’d love to try Gingerbread Spice!
Liz E. says
Candy Cane Lane all the way!! I love this tea and always buy extra before they take it away for the season so i don’t have to wait a year to enjoy the sweet peppermint and vanilla delight in a mug!
Katie says
I am a huge fan of the Gingerbread Spice seasoning!
Molly D. says
Caramel Apple Dream sounds phenomenal! I would love to try that! 🙂 Sleepytime is my absolute favorite. It’s a staple in my house!
Ali says
Sleepytime will always be my favorite
Nicole says
I want to try the Bengal Spice now that you’ve mentioned it and I know it’s caffeine free!
Grace says
Sugarplum Spice is my longtime favorite!
Lisa says
I would love to try the Bengal Spice tea… it’s sounds wonderful with the cinnamon and ginger in it!!!
Rachael says
Definitely Sleepytime. A classic!
Kacie L says
I have never tried Celestial tea but I would love to!
Kristin B says
I’d love to try the sweet harvest pumpkin tea! Sounds so yummy!
Rachel says
I would love that candy cane lane one!!!! 🙂
Kate says
I Love love love Sleepy time tea, but just recently discovered sweet harvest pumpkin and adore that.
Kristen says
I am a HUGE tea lover! I get it from my mama…she drinks like six cups a day, out of the FRIENDS style, “Central Perk” size- cups. I’ve never seen the Nutcracker Sweet flavor, I can’t wait to find it over the holidays!
Rebecca says
I love the Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride flavor!
Ryanne says
I love the pumpkin flavored tea they have out now! I’d love to try to Bengal Spice–sounds delicious!!
glenneth says
i would really like to try the bengal spice.
Michelle says
I would love to try the Bengal Spice tea and the Sweet Harvest Pumpkin! They sound fantastic:)
Melissa says
All of the teas sound wonderful! But I’d have to say that the gingerbread spice is the one that is really calling to me!!
Aubrey Moskal says
I would love to try the Bengal Spice!! Oh my!!
Amber says
I love Celestial Seasonings tea! I remember having the sleepytime tea when I was growing up! I have tried the Country Peach Passion and it was so good! I haven’t tried the Cinnamon Apple Spice or the Black Cherry Berry yet, both of which sound fantastic!
The Sleepytime vanilla sounds good too!
Emily says
I’d love to try the gingerbread flavor!!
Madi says
I’d love to try the Caramel Apple and Pumpkin flavors— especially now that the fall chill has kicked in!
tiffany says
I’ve only had sugar cookie sleigh ride and candy cane lane…both of which i loved! The sweet harvest pumpkin tea looks so good though.
Chloe says
my favorite flavor is sleepytime vanilla!
Dina says
I love green tea – so I’d love to try that one.
Marcie says
Bengal spice sounds great! My favorite tea is Candy Cane Lane- for sure 🙂
Morgan says
i love their sleepy time teas! I drink it almost every night while watching Netflix! It helps me relax after a crazy day!
Lindsay says
The whole holiday sampler pack looks amazing!
Rosie says
I’d love to try the Chai tea!
Sarah F says
I would love to try the Bengal spice! That sounds like the perfect combination of spices and would be a nice and cozy drink for fall!
Tiana says
Bengal Spice has been my favourite tea for years!!
Therese says
I’d love to try Bengal Spice!
Mary Beth Richardson says
Oh my gosh, I love this post! I have visited on a trip to CO to bring my Gma back some tea and she raved about it. She was the one who got me hooked on sipping tea 🙂
I would LOVE to try Candy Cane Lane this holiday season! Sounds festive and delicious!
Nichole says
I’d love to try the pumpkin harvest, sounds like the perfect fall tea!
Amina says
I look forward to Fall because I love their sugar cookie sleigh ride w/ almond milk! I use my aero latte to froth it up!
Eva says
it’s definitely a toss up between sugar cookie sleigh ride and gingerbread spice. i hoard them around the holidays and drink them all year!
Lindsay says
I love the sugar cookie holiday tea!
ashley s says
I’ve always been a big fan of the sleepy time tea! Helps put you to sleep after night shift 🙂
Amanda Brezgel says
Bengal spice is my fav! But would love to try the Sweet Pumpkin flavor!
Katherine says
I love sleepy time tea! It reminds me of being at my grandma’s house with my cousins!
Shannon Hartley says
I always use sleepy time tea before I go to bed! But I’d love to try the Bengal tiger or pumpkin spice teas!
Sara Sullivan says
I would love to get more into teas. I am a big coffee drinker, which I know it not great for me. I am always nervous to buy teas in the store. If I hate it then I have this whole box of tea I am never going to drink. These flavors sound so good! I love seasonal flavors!
Diane Smith says
The Caramel Apple Dream tea sounds amazing, especially this time of year! I would also love to try the Bengal Spice tea!
Jessica says
Sweet Harvest Pumpkin!!!!
pearlsfrosting says
Ooh, that candle looks divine! I’d love to try the Bengal spice, you had me at “holiday”!
Allison says
I’d love to try the pumpkin spice tea! I’m ready to embrace all things fall.
Brooke says
I love the sleepy time tea but that pumpkin harvest is definitely calling my name!
Jess R says
SleepyTime Tea is absolutely the best!