Kusmi Iced Tea

[Steve Mirsky]

Summertime…perfect for luxuriating with some real iced tea! But before you reach for that canister of powder loaded with sugar or grab a supersize cup from a conglomerate chain outlet, I would like to make a recommendation…Kusmi…teas that I found to be extraordinarily fresh and flavorful. I tried out Kusmi’s selection of 12 flavored teas perfectly suited for icing. Distinctive blends like Anastasia with notes of bergamot, lemon, and orange blossom; flavored green teas like the Imperial Label, with orange and cinnamon notes; an aromatic strawberry infusion and a “Be Cool” blend are just some you’ll find in the 12-pack.

With Kusmi, you’re drinking a cup of rich heritage along with that tea. It all started in 1867 with Pavel

Kousmichoff’s tea house in St Petersburg, Russia. Pavel’s first break through blend, Bouquet of Flowers, became the tsar’s favorite. By the early 1900s, Pavel expanded to 11 teahouses and soon sent his eldest son Viatcheslav to London to become a master tea blender. Upon his return to Russia, Viatcheslav soon took over the family business after his father died,  expanding to 51 teahouses. In 1920, Viatcheslav and his family narrowly escaped the horrors of the revolution, relocating the Kusmi empire to Paris. This move is still reflected today in the elegant labeling.

I knew I was in for a treat when I opened Kusmi’s tea pouches to a rich aroma of meticulously seasoned tea and spices. Look closer and the bags…even the strings… are finely woven cloth. Yet the brewing experience is nearly just as quick and easy as the powdered mixes…only 5 minutes from boil to first sip. Infuse 2 tea bags of Kusmi for 3-4 minutes in one cup of boiling water. Pour the tea into a pitcher ¾ of the way full with ice cubes. Mix and enjoy!

Photos courtesy of Steve Mirsky