It’s official, we are in the middle of a heat wave! It’s the dog days of summer when I dread turning on my oven and have no desire to eat anything but ice cream. Nothing beats a tall glass of iced tea to cool down. I didn’t grow up in a house that served iced tea (because who would want to drink cold tea?). I was hazed in the art of iced tea while at college in Savannah, Georgia. The ‘sweet tea’ of the south was a sugary shock of iced coldness. The sweet tea never really stuck with me cause why drink that, when honestly, I could eat a candy bar and have the same amount of sugar.

Since living in NYC I have found two favorites. One tea is called ‘blue eyes’ and is sold by McNulty’s Rare Teas and Choice Coffees. It is a real treat if you are ever in NYC. The store is set up as old school as it gets. I have a theory that the metal bins that the coffee is stored in is original to the 1895 opening of the store. The blue eyes blend is an herbal tea that has hibiscus, rosehips, cornflowers and rhubarb cream. There is so much sweetness and no sugar and no caffeine.

When visiting London a few years ago, we found our way to Postcard Teas. This store has truly curated teas. Custom blends and exotic flavors fill the air in the store. The store owner couldn’t be nicer, I chatted him up for his favorite antique places. My obsession with their buckwheat tea called Sobacha is beyond reasonable. I tell everyone who mentions London about this tea place. I have searched high and low for tea like this in NYC, and it does not exist. Lucky to have a fellow blogger Will Taylor of Bright Bazaar send some to me (I see canned peaches in Will’s future). I savor every cup and ration out the buckwheat tea. I really love the smell of this tea, sweetness and the roasted nutty flavor.