Tea FAQS
**Holiday Shipping Guidelines**
Orders placed up to the 15th of December will be shipped out and delivered before the 25th. All clubs placed after the 15th, and before the end of day on the 20th will ship, but will not be guaranteed to deliver by the 25th.
Our gift of the month clubs make a great last minute gift. Don't settle for a trinket gift with no meaning, buy them a gift club and include a personalized gift announcement in a christmas card. (printable after you checkout) We can also include a heartfelt note with the first shipment to let your special someone know they will be receiving their favorite club.
**Promotional Codes and Discounts**
Discount codes will only be honored on the promotion that is clearly stated on our website. If you apply a discount code to a membership, that does not follow the promotional guidelines, you will be charged the full amount for that membership.
What kinds of tea will I receive with my membership?
Guarantee to be delivered fresh. Each shipment included 2 (2-4oz.) tin of fresh gourmet loose leaf tea. 4 ounces makes approximately 50 cups. Specially blended for Best Gift Clubs, Trish's Tea is packaged in stay-fresh tins to preserve flavor and quality. And, each order is packed just before it ships, so you can be sure that your tea is fresh. These are NOT basic teas found in any grocery market! Flavors include, but not limited to, are Hawaiian Paradise (includes pieces of coconut), Dragon Well (a pan fired green tea), Oliphant Estate (directly from Sri Lanka), Blue Clouds Over Dakota (Blueberry, vanilla with blue lavendar flowers).
Types of Tea
Green Tea: made solely with the leaves of Camellia Sinensis that has not undergone oxidation during processing. Some are toasted to produce a toasty flavor.
Black Tea: produced by a process that includes more oxidation than green tea, oolong tea or white tea. Black tea is generally stronger in flavor and contains more caffeine.
Oolong Tea: produced with semi-oxidation. The best oolongs are still handmade and have lovely fruity/flowery aroma and a delicate sweetness.
Rooibos Tea: (roy-bus) made from needle-like leaves of a caffeine-free bush native to South Africa. It is oxidized like black tea, and good hot or cold. It has a mild flavor and won't turn bitter with extended brewing.
Darjeeling Tea: Unique and delicate, often called the "Champagne of Tea." Full body as well as fruity.
White Tea: Subtle, complex and naturally sweet. This is the most delicate of the teas and are minimally processed.
How do I brew my loose leaf tea?
BREWING RECOMMENDATIONS: The amount of tea to be used varies from tea to tea because they have varying densities. Ideally, use approximately half teaspoon per cup for light tea and more for strong tea. Please remember, you need more for large leaf tea. Always use a dry spoon. Green teas, with a few exceptions, tend to taste bitter when made strong. The cardinal rule in making black tea is to use boiling water (212 F), not just hot water. For Green tea you may use slightly less than boiling water, by letting the kettle cool for 1 minute. Fill the pot with boiling water and replace lid. Set timer as recommended for that particular tea. Allow the tea leaves to unfurl by stirring the contents permitting free movement. After the brewing period is over, stir the pot one last time and pour into cups through a fine tea strainer. If tea leaves remain in the pot, the tea would get stronger than desirable and may even get bitter. Therefore, the leaves should be strained out. Other options are Infuser baskets, tea presses and tea filters. If brewing in a cup or mug, use an infuser basket or a filter.
Water Temperature - White: 7-10min/200 F, Green: 3-4min/180 F, Black: 5min/212 F
Water Quality - Soft water or purified water is best. Hard water may leave a film of oil floating in the pot or cup due to the interaction between the Flavanoids in tea and Calcium Hydroxide in the water. Hard water is unsuitable for tea.
How is it shipped?
All clubs are packaged in specially designed, corrugated boxes. We then ship the items through one of the major delivery services. This includes UPS, FedEx, DHL and the US Postal Service. All memberships come with delivery confirmation. A signature is required for all beer and wine clubs.
Can I choose the tea that I'll receive?
Did your family and friends let you see your birthday gift before it was wrapped? All kidding aside, the great thing about choosing a club is the suspense in finding out what will be shipped every month. Be assured our industry professionals only choose from the best selections!
What if I do not like what was shipped? Do you offer a guarantee?
We have a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you do not like the selections, you may cancel your membership at any time for a refund of any clubs not yet shipped.
If I send a gift membership, do you include a message?
After you checkout, on the order confirmation page, you will have the ability to send an email to your recipient. Or if you prefer, create a unique, personalized letter with our form generator to print out for your recipient. The third choice is to include a gift letter with your first shipment. Simply fill out our form with a personalized note and we will include it with your first club shipment.
How late in the month can I order and still get my club shipped that same month?
We accept orders that will still ship out that same month up to the 21th of the month. The first shipment of any orders placed on the 22nd of the month or later will be shipped starting the next month at the earliest.
Can you ship outside the United States?
We only ship to the 50 United States. We do not ship to US territories. Restrictions do apply for memberships containing alcohol.
Do you ship to PO boxes, FPO or APO boxes?
YES WE DO! We can ship any club to a PO, FPO or APO that does not contain alcohol.
Shipping Guidelines
Orders placed by the 20th day at Midnight CST will ship that same month. Orders received on the 21st and later will ship the following month. All shipments will depart between the 23rd-27th of that month, to arrive by the first of the next month. **Estimated arrival times depend on the carrier and are subject to delays due to weather or unforeseen events out of our control.**
All clubs shipping through USPS: Delivery for the Contiguous U.S. about 4 to 7 business days after shipment. HOWEVER, the U.S. Postal Service does NOT guarantee a delivery date. No tracking available, but delivery confirmation is provided. A signature is not required.
All clubs shipping through UPS: UPS Ground - Delivery is 2 to 5 business days from date of shipment.