Tag: Adagio Teas

The Alchemyst’s Mirror Fandom Tea Blends

The Alchemyst’s Mirror Fandom Tea Blends

With the launch of The Alchemyst’s Mirror next week, I thought I’d share more about the custom tea blends I created to go along with the book.

As you probably know, I’m a huge tea drinker myself, and since the main setting of The Alchemyst’s Mirror is a tea shop, it seemed almost required that I make up some custom tea blends.

I created the blends using Adagio Teas’ Signature/Fandom Blends function. It’s a really cool section of their website where anyone can come up with a tea blend, design artwork for the tins and bags, and put it up for other people to purchase. Adagio handles all the tea. Or you can even create blends and keep them private.

The person who designs it earns “points” with each sale which can be redeemed for a gift certificate, which is pretty cool. Adagio also rewards points for purchasing tea, and leaving reviews.

These seven teas are all mentioned in The Alchemyst’s Mirror

I first started by making a list of all the teas mentioned in the book. There happened to be seven, which was perfect considering all of the implications of the number seven in alchemy. Two of the teas are the favorites of the main characters. Petra’s is Hazelnut Midnight, and Maisie’s is Rose Oolong.

Next I went to Adagio’s Signature blend creator. Here you have to choose at least 2 teas to blend. You can also add fun little additions like rose petals, orange peels, (you can even add sprinkles if you want!). So then I figured out what each tea was made out of.

Then there needs to be artwork!

I will say when I received the tins, the designs were much darker than the original art, so I’ll have to keep that in mind for the future! But the sample tines (which are only $5 each) are a very adorable size and perfect for trying a sample or giving as a gift.

Each tea gets its own product page, and you can purchase them in the sample tin size, the 3 ounce pouch, or a 5 ounce tin.

Check out the whole collection here.

The Teas

Rose Oolong

This is a blend of a vanilla oolong tea with a lychee rose green tea, with extra rose petals. I thought the lychee would add a little something extra to the rose flavor. Oolong tea is about halfway between green tea and black tea in terms of caffeine.


Gunpowder Orange

Why gunpowder? Not just because it sounds cool and steampunky, it’s actually a type of green tea. Gunpowder green tea is named so because of the shape of the tea leaves after they’ve been processed, forming little pellets. Here it’s blended with blood orange herbal tea, with extra orange peels added.


Scitican Chai

Did you know that chai just means “tea”? It’s come to be known for spicy cinnamony type teas these days, and the Scitican Chai is a blend of spiced apple chai and masala chai. In the world of The Alchemyst’s Mirror, Scitica (I pronounce it “skit-ika”) is one of the other countries that the Everturns often refer to in regards to exploring for interesting artifacts. This is made with black tea, so it has some caffeine.


Amaryllian Mint

This is another tea named after a country in the world of the book- Amaryllia. It’s fairly close to Adonia, where our main characters live, only a three day journey by ship. The tea isn’t just a mint tea, it’s green tea blended with vanilla and chocolate flavors as well as spearmint and peppermint. Green tea is usually about 5-10% the amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee.


Brass Breakfast

A classic “breakfast” tea, this is a blend of an Irish breakfast with straight rooibos tea. Rooibos is sometimes called a red tea, and originates from South Africa, giving the tea more of a reddish hue.

This is one of the plainer, straight-up teas of the collection, and a black tea with caffeine.


Hazelnut Midnight

Petra Everturn’s favorite tea, this is a blend of mostly black tea, with some hazelnut flavor. It’s bold and simple, with a good amount of caffeine (black tea is usually equal to about 20% the caffeine in a cup of coffee)

It’s also based off of one of my favorite teas, too!


White Peach Blossom

A sweet and fruity tea, extremely low on caffeine, this is a blend of white tea with a peach herbal tea. Adagio’s herbal teas always have lots of flavor, and this peach one even includes pieces of apple, mango and pineapple.


Also, fun fact: It’s almost impossible to scoop tea out of these tins without spilling it!

What do you think? Are you a tea drinker? Or would you ever make a tea blend for your own fandom?

Book & Tea Review: Heart of the Curiosity by H.L. Burke

Book & Tea Review: Heart of the Curiosity by H.L. Burke

A book with heart, and a hearty tea

I’ve been in a reading slump for a while now. I don’t know whether I’ve just been busy with my new fall releases, or if it’s the social/political/health climate, or what. But I finally finished a book!

I chose this one because H.L. Burke writes fun and snarky characters, and I figured it would keep my interest until the end. And it definitely did. So today I have a book & tea review for you; keep reading to see which tea I chose to go with it and why!

This post contains affiliate links.

📖 The book: Heart of the Curiosity by H.L. Burke

Key points:
🌇 Awesome world building
👥 Great characters
🎭 Theater
🪄 Magic
⚙️ Steampunk
🥐 Pastries
🐌 Snails

Having read this author before, I knew I was going to be in for a fun yet heartfelt tale. And it was set in a theater, with characters who can do magic? Sign me up.

Leo and Muse find a home in The Curiosity Theater, their respective “knacks” (little magics) giving them jobs as a dancer (Muse can levitate) and a professional audience member (Leo can influence other people’s emotions).

When the theater becomes in danger of closing after a tragedy, their livelihoods, their home, and their happiness are all threatened.

Leo is a great main character, her scruples about using her knack on other people an excellent point of character development. And her love of pastries… Comes close to her growing love for another certain someone at the theater.

There are so many interpretations of what the title could really mean as you read the book; there is so much heart in this story and these characters. I definitely found myself actually smiling the last two chapters.

Where do the snails come in? I’ll let you read it to find out!

“Yes, people need food and shelter and goods and services, even buttons, but they need art as well. They need to smile and laugh and cry and see ideas expressed in ways that make them think and feel. They need The Curiosity, or at least what it stands for.”

– (Paxton) H.L. Burke, The Heart of the Curiosoty

☕ The tea: Rooibos Lemon Cloud by Adagio Teas

Tea choice inspired by the somewhat magical pastry shop that Leo frequents, this tea has a bold rooibos flavor with the right amount of creamy lemon. Great hot in this cool weather!

I’m careful not to oversteep this tea, because as with most rooibos teas, the hearty rooibos will overpower any flavor if left too long. I also like to use my disposable tea bags, because, again, the rooibos flavor can get intense, and I’m far too lazy to clean my usual teamaking stuff with soap everytime I use it!

The only thing this tea could be wanting is maybe some lemon peels for added flavor and vibe. But it’s a great decaf tea for anyone who likes lemon, with a hearty rooibos base.

Book & Tea Review: The Cruel Prince and Dragonfruit Dream

Book & Tea Review: The Cruel Prince and Dragonfruit Dream

Today I’m reviewing another book and tea pairing!

📚The book: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
🍵The tea: Dragon Fruit Dream by Adagio Teas

📚
The Cruel Prince is an exceptional story that draws you in just like getting tricked into a bargain to go into the land of Faerie! I could not put it down, and I have really been meaning to get the rest of the series.

I hadn’t read anything by Holly Black since reading Tithe as a teenager. I remember it being one of my favorite books.

I was fortunate enough to meet Ms. Black at a convention in February (one of the last public things I’ve gotten to go to! So glad I went) at Boskone in Boston.



The characters of The Cruel Prince are complex and I really enjoy that a lot of them are morally grey. The fae characters are very grey, and though they can be dark sometimes, I think it’s “realistic”, as realistic as writing fae can be.

I can’t wait to read the next one and see where all the scheming goes!

It pairs nicely with Dragonfruit Dream tea, an intoxicating fruit herbal tea from Adagio Teas.

I picked it because it has these cute little apple pieces which reminded me of the sweet fruit of the realm of faerie. It makes a great iced tea, and I used my Teavana Teamaker to steep it in.