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!
Caitlin says
The Bengal Spice sounds amazing- would love to try!
Alyson Drost says
My new favorite Celestial tea is Benegal Spice! A coworker brewed me a cup last month and I have been hooked ever since!
And what a fun giveaway, thanks Julie!
Lauryn says
I would love to try the Candy Cane Lane! What a fantastic giveaway!
Rachel says
I really want to try the sugar cookie sleigh ride! I don’t drink caffeine, so I’m excited to see how many caffeine free options they have.
Julie says
I want to try the Bengal tea – sounds yummy!
Anna says
Tangerine Orange Zinger Herbal Tea is my favorite tea! I love the orange flavor!
KellPow says
The Bengal Spice tea sounds amazing…I love anything with spices, especially cinnamon, which I’ve been known to put in both tea and coffee.
shaunie says
Love the Fruit Tea Sampler
Kristy says
I’d love to try the Bengal Tea or the Sleepytime.
Amber @ Busy, Bold, Blessed says
I love seasonal tea! I’d love to try the Bengal Spice flavor, yum 🙂
melisathorne says
What a great giveaway. Red Zinger will always have a special place in my heart and I would love to try the Bengal Spice.
Katy says
I drink the Sleepy Time Tea almost nightly! It really is a great way to wind down after a long day. I love Chai Tea normally, so am really looking forward to trying the Bengal Spice!
Amy Ramos says
I love, LOVE their Candy Cane Lane one. YUM!
Erin says
Sleepytime reminds me of my childhood! 🙂
Rebekah Smith says
I had no idea they had seasonal teas and now I must try THEM ALL!!!!!!!! 🙂
Heather @ Housewife Glamour says
Fun trip! I love these teas! I’m love to try that Pumpkin Harvest. YUM <3
MaryBeth says
I’d love to try the Bengal Spice! That sounds so good!!!
Elle says
Sleepytime is definitely the go to. A cup of tea at night to wind down is perfect!
jamie says
i would love to try the Bengal Spice. it sounds like a Chai tea which i’m a huge fan of.
Alevia says
I am on a Chai Tea kick at the moment, but would love to try the Bengal Spice!
Katie Matthews says
My absolute favorite is their Sugar Cookie tea. I bought one box at the end of the holiday season last year and fell in LOVE but couldn’t find it anywhere after that. My boyfriend bought me 6 boxes of it for Valentine’s Day this year 🙂 I’m almost finished with the last box so this giveaway is pretty perfect timing. Keeping my fingers crossed! 😛
Caroline says
Candy Cane Lane is my favorite! I’m anxiously waiting for it to appear at my grocery store!
Susan says
The Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride sounds amazing…. I love love love tea!!
Emily says
Sleepyti me and Lemon Zinger are my favorites. Is love to try the Sweet Harvest Pumpkin. ALL THE PUMPKIN!
Addie says
I love the pumpkin spice but I’ve always wanted to try the sleepy time!
Jessica says
I love the Sugar Cookie! I make tea and then use that water to make oatmeal – sugar cookie oatmeal!
Kelly Runs for Food says
I want to try the nutcracker sweet one! And that bengal spice flavor sounds great too!
jen says
i love celestial seasonings! my all time favorite favorite favorite tea (not just celestial seasonings, but of all the teas on earth!) is the honey vanilla chamomile! WHY IS IT SO GOOD?!
Tera says
Sleepy time peach is my favorite!
Ashley @ Saving Money in your Twenties says
I really want to try more of their holiday teas now– last year I discovered the sugar cookie one (I think through Tina’s blog!) and that was SO good! I really want to try the candy cane lane!
Holly says
The sleepy time tea is my all time faves before bed, but I would love to try the Sweet Pumpkin tea.
Lee Morgan says
Just a simple Green Tea girl! The best when it’s chilly outside!
Liz says
I would love to try the cinnamon apple!!! Sounds really good.
Lisa says
I’m obsessed with the Lemon Zinger! I have at least two cups a day. Nutcracker Sweet sounds like it would be an amazing holiday treat!
Amanda says
Would love to try their sweet havest pumpkin!
Maureen says
I have not yet tried one but I would love one that had mint perhaps the candy cane. I love mint tea.
Rachael says
Wow this is really making me want to try their tea! I’ve never been a huge tea drinker but my gram actually made me tea this past weekend with some lemon and I loved it! I would love to try those fall and winter inspired teas! The Nutcracker Sweet sounds delicious!
Amy B says
I love the sleeptime tea. Yes, it tastes great too – but it also really works to put me to sleep, so I am in love!
Lauren Z. says
I love Candy Cane Lane!
Tiffany says
My favorite is the Gingerbread Spice tea!
Danielle says
The pumpkin spice sounds amazing – the perfect flavor for this time of year 🙂
Leiah says
I love their pumpkin tea!
Jamie says
I’m still on the search for the perfect tea, though some of your suggested tea brewing tips might solve some of those problems I’ve had in the past.
Lisa E. says
I actually just made a cup of Cinnamon Apple Spice! My very favorite that I just add a little honey or agave to. 🙂
Lindsey says
I’d love to try Bengal Spice
Strength and Sunshine says
The Nutcracker Sweet is sooooo good!
Mendie says
Sleepytime tea is my favorite! Usually have a cup every evening, esp this time of year!
Jennifer says
I love the candy cane lane! I would love to try the Bengal spice flavor since I have never heard of it before!
Chelsea says
Their peppermint tea is certainly a staple!
Michelle says
I would love to try the Sweet Harvest Pumpkin!