All true teas come from the Camellia sinensis plant. So then, what is chamomile? What is hibiscus?What is rooibos? Many people commonly call these “tea”, but they are actually not tea. Beverages made from other botanicals are more accurately called tisanes, or herbal infusions, and they are commonly called herbal teas.

All true tea - white, green, oolong, black, dark - comes from one plant, Camellia sinensis.  Creating the different types of teas that come from the Camellia sinensis plant has to do with the variety, or cultivar, and where in the world the plant is grown.  The different tea types are created through the use of different Camellia sinensis cultivars (or varieties), the terroir of the plant, and processing of the leaves. The 6 basic processing stages are plucking, withering, rolling and shaping, oxidation, firing,and sorting, and not every tea goes through every step.

• White tea – the most minimally processed tea. This tea is lightly oxidized and typically has grassy and floral notes.
• Green tea – completely unoxidized,which is what gives it its green appearance. Chinese green teas are pan fired,delivering more vegetal, nutty, and toasty notes, while Japanese green teas are steamed, delivering more grassy, seaweed, and umami notes.
• Oolong tea – semi-oxidized and are known for their complex flavors.
• Black tea – fully oxidized,resulting in a dark color and flavor.
• Dark tea – fermentation gives this tea its earthy notes. Only when dark tea comes from Yunnan it is known as Pu-erh (similar to how only true “Champagne” comes from Champagne region of France).

Tea can either be sold straight as one ingredient, known as “naked” here at Tea Sip, or it can be flavored, scented, blended with other botanicals, or a combination of these, to create tea “blends”.

We love all our teas, so it is hard to pick favorites! Our best sellers or most popular flavors are listed on our website under the Best Sellers section of the shopping menu. Check this section out and try out some new options.

All of the ingredients used in our tea and tisane blends are listed on each product page as well as each retail bag of loose leaf tea. We use only organic and all-natural ingredients.

Our teas do not contain gluten, and our manufacturing facility does not contain gluten.

Our teas and tisanes were certified kosher when we first opened our business in 2017. Unfortunately, as a small business we were unable to keep up with the expense of the certification process, so while nothing has changed in our recipes or process, we are no longer certified kosher.

Yes, all tea and tisanes sold at Tea Sip are vegan.

Our teas do not contain added sugar. The natural sweetness found in some of our teas is due to certain ingredients in the blends: fruit pieces, stevia leaf, and licorice root all create sweetness.

Natural flavors are comprised of natural aroma chemicals, essential oils,solid extracts, fluid extracts, essences, distillates, juices, etc. that come from the actual plant or fruit, etc. to achieve the desired flavor profile. So, for example, our pineapple natural flavor comes from pineapples. Our flavors are also vegan, kosher, and non-gmo.

 

Previous to the National Organic Program's amendment on December 27, 2019,our flavors were also what is known as"organic compliant” and used in the creation of all of our USDA certified organic blends. We are in the process of switching all flavors to be compliant with the new rules - check out the letter from our founder on this update. We still have blends on hand that were packed prior to the Dec. 27th date, and those still bare the USDA certified organic label - those produced after that date will not bare the USDA certified organic logo until we have switch over to our new certified organic flavors and formulations, per the new regulations. Also, all of our naked and blended teas that to not contain flavors, are still USDA certified organic.

Your tea should stay potent and fresh for about two years when stored properly. To keep your tea as fresh as possible, store your tea in a location that minimizes exposure to moisture, heat, light and strong aromas--such as coffee.

To make a cup of loose leaf tea you will need loose leaf tea leaves, hot water, and a way to infuse the tea leaves. If you're just getting started with loose leaf tea, we recommend a tea infuser, like our Folding Handle Infuser, but you can also use a Simple Brew, teapot, strainer, French press, or any of the items listed on the Brew section of our website.

Steeping time for leaves (the amount of time the tea leaves are in the water) depends on the type of tea you are making. All of Tea Sip’s teas include recommended steep times on all of the bags of tea (3.5 oz and 1 oz), but you can also find this information on each tea’s product page on our website or on our Brew Guide.

Our 3.5 ounce bags of tea make about 25 cups of tea and our 1 ounce bags of tea make about 7 cups of tea. We have a few teas that are fluffier (aka low bulk density) (ex: White Peony) and 3.5/1 ounces cannot fit in the package, therefore these few teas are slightly less then 3.5/1 ounces (and therefore less than 25/7 servings).

Yes! All bags of tea have hot brew instructions on the bag. The hot brew instructions are also listed on the website on each tea page. Check out the Brew Guide on our website for cold and iced brewing instructions for each tea.

We recommend that you steep your tea at the recommended temperatures for optimal flavor. If you steep your tea in water that is too hot, it may taste bitter.

Don’t have a variable temperature kettle to get the recommended 185°F water? Just use ¾ cup boiling water and ¼ cup cool, filtered tap water to get the approximate recommended temperature. This is also a great one to try out cold brewing– check out the cold brewing instructions on our Brew Guide.

If your tea tastes bitter, you may have left the tea leaves in the water for too long or your water temperature may have been too high. Try steeping your tea leaves in the hot water for less time or try a lower water temperature. You can lower your water temperature by adding a little cool filtered water to your hot water prior to brewing. You can also add milk, honey, or sugar to your final tea product to adjust the flavor and help reduce bitterness.

We recommend steeping iced tea by pouring hot water over leaves into the steeping vessel, steep for the normal allotted time. When your tea is done steeping pour over ice, or directly add iced to the hot tea. The amount of water and tea leaves will depend on what you are using to steep it. For more information check out our Brew Guide.

Once your tea is finished steeping and is in fridge, you have about 12-24 hours to drink your iced tea.

All our teas have been blended for optimal flavor for both hot and iced options. This means all our teas are great iced!

Currently only our sample bags are provided in compostable packaging since the tea lives in there only a short time. We are currently working on a recyclable bag solution (in which 100% of the bag will be recycled) for the rest of our sizes.Unfortunately, the compostable bags we have investigated since before we even opened our doors just don’t protect the tea enough (which can lead to loss of antioxidants and flavor for example) or are not truly compostable (most people don’t have access to an industrial compostable facility, which means if that is required, our compostable bags will just become more trash - we want bags that are backyard compostable). Currently our bags are kraft stand up pouches, which creates just a little less plastic trash, but because of the laminated layers, they are not recyclable by most facilities.  

Our online orders are processed in 1-3 business days. Once your order has shipped, you will receive an email with tracking information. Our shipping options include:

• Free Shipping: your order will be shipped either USPS First Class Mail or UPS Ground which will take 2-5 business days
• USPS Priority Mail: 1-3 business days
• USPS First Class Mail: 2-5 business days

All of Tea Sip’s teas are blended, packed, and shipped from our Blend Lab in Houston, Texas.

Check your emails and find your tracking number. If it says your package has been delivered, but it hasn't arrived, please reach out to us at hello@teasip.com or 346-701-8662 with your name and order number.

Yes! Just choose "Store Pick-up" at checkout. We will email you when your order is ready to be picked up. Pick-up orders are typically ready within the hour.

We will gladly return or exchange any unused item within 30 days of purchase. We provide full refunds and exchanges on unused tea accessories, and in-store exchange or refunds on unused loose leaf tea. We do not currently offer online returns on loose leaf tea. All refunds will be processed using the same method of payment as the original purchase. All gift cards and sale items are final sale. We are unable to process refunds to purchases made with a gift card.

The easiest way to return items for an exchange or refund is by visiting our Tea Sip store. Bring the unused item with your original receipt, and we’ll gladly return for an exchange or refund for eligible items within 30 days.

We do not currently offer online returns on loose leaf tea or tea accessories. If you’re unhappy with your purchase of one of these items, please visit us in store or contact our Support Squad at hello@teasip.com.  

If there is a problem with your order, please contact our Support Squad by calling 346-701-8662 or emailing us at hello@teasip.com.

If you have any other questions or concerns please reach out to our Support Squad at hello@teasip.com or by calling 346-701-8662 from 10 am – 6 pm CST.

https://teasip.com/pages/loyal-tea

We have two different types of subscriptions:  Monthly Sips Subscriptions and Individual Tea Subscriptions. Monthly Sips is a monthly box that contains three different teas each month that are either caffeinated, caffeine free, or mixed. You can set it up for yourself or as a 3, 6, or 12 month gift. You can set up your Monthly Sips Subscription here. Individual Tea Subscriptions can be set up for any tea that you love and want to receive on a regular basis. These are set up on that particular tea product's page by selecting "Subscribe & Save". You then select how often you would like to receive your tea - every 1, 2, or 3 months. By subscribing to your favorite tea, you receive 5% off that tea.

Yes. To edit your subscription, login to your account and select manage subscriptions. Also, feel free to contact us directly at hello@teasip.com to request a change with your full name and the email address associated with the subscription. Any request to change or cancel the order from our support tea-m must be made at least 24 hours prior to the processing date (charge date), although the customer may make changes within their account at any time before the order is processed.

Login to your account here. You can manage your subscription by going to your account page and by selecting Manage Subscriptions on the right hand side under Account Details and your name.

If you don't have any account or are having issues logging in, go to the login page and where it says "Having issues managing your subscription?" click the link. Follow the prompts to enter your email to request account invite to access your subscription. Once you have access to your account, you can manage your subscription by going to your account page and by selecting Manage Subscriptions on the right hand side under Account Details and your name.

No. Recurring orders are final when the order is processed (charge date) and will not be refunded, cancelled, or altered.

To cancel your subscription, login to your account and select manage subscriptions. Navigate to the subscription you wish to cancel and cancel the subscription before the next processing date (charge date). Also, feel free to contact us directly at hello@teasip.com to request cancellation with your full name and the email address associated with the subscription. Any request to change or cancel the order from our support tea-m must be made at least 24 hours prior to the processing date (charge date), although the customer may make changes within their account at any time before the order is processed.