Ausperitea

PENDING ORDERS!

We will be placing orders within the next few weeks for the following teas and herbals, if any of them are interesting to you, let me know how much of which you would like so we can better plan our order!

White teas: almond pear white chai, cran-raspberry blend, pomegranate blend

Green teas: Dragon Well Chinese, Strawberry Rhubarb, Key Lime, Mango/Papaya, Mojito Breeze (mint/lime)

Black teas: Apricot, Masala Chai, Kentucky Bourbon, Southern Pecan, Blueberry Pomegranate, Darjeeling/Nepalese/Yunnan Gold blend, Darjeeling/Nepal/Assam blend, Market Spice, Bukhial Assam

Rooibos tisanes: Roasted Almond chai, Pomegranate

Honeybush tisanes: Peach Apricot, Lavender/chamomile, Precious Breath (eucalyptus/licorice/mint blend).

Fruit tisanes: Blueberry

Lapacho tisanes: Orange almond.

Herbal tisanes: Coconut Chamomile, Sunset in Seattle (strawberry/vanilla chamomile), Winter's Breath (minty chamomile)

Till we meet again.

Exciting news... after more than a year of planning to bring a new face to my business, it seems that change is imminent. I've been letting people know all day today, that this may very well be my last weekend in St. Philip's Plaza, and will certainly be my last month here. Ten years of warm memories, of amazing triumphs and failures, will soon be coming to an end. Not the beginning of an end, more like the end of our beginning.

To celebrate this occasion, the Black Friday/Company Anniversary/Peanut sale is now known as the Till We Meet Again Sale. Come see me today or tomorrow at St. Philip's Plaza, and the more tea you purchase, the bigger your savings will be! This is a market-only event, as it's celebrating leaving this location.

We hope to see you this weekend, come by sometime and say goodbye, it has been our honor to serve you!

So, my Tucson friends... how would you like having your own tea party?

We're gearing up for our largest product order of the year, and part of that effort includes trying new products. To that end, I literally have HUNDREDS of tea samples... it's a tough job, but somebody has to try and vet them all! In the beginning, even before there existed an Ausperitea, I got a group of my students to stay after school, bribing them with pizza and a free movie in exchange for their sampling tea and giving me their honest opinion. A big part of maintaining the finest product I can find is getting an outside opinion, and it's no mistake that many of the teas we tried back then, ten years ago, are still among our most popular teas today.

I wouldn't mind having that other voice of evaluation as I consider what direction we go for the next ten years, and I certainly don't mind the good company! Tonight, I'll go over all the samples we'll be trying and categorize them... once I do, I'll post what those categories are. The rest is simple. Pick a category you really, REALLY want to try. Call up a few buds, the kind that all you have to say is Free Tea Tasting and they'll be there. Contact me and let's pick a date to do it... the only catch is, we should do it soon so I can decide on them before we finalize our orders. Maybe come up with a theme, if that suits your style, a certain movie, certain style of food, certain costume... let's have some fun!

An update on a post from last week... act quickly, these orders WILL be placed first thing tomorrow morning!

Here is a list of tea and herbal products we'll be ordering this week... if any of them sound interesting, let me know as soon as possible, I'll be making my orders early and I'm only ordering what I need to get me through a month or so, so if you don't let me know, I probably won't have enough left to get you what you want!

Peach Apricot Honeybush
Ginger Peach Herbal
Scottish Breakfast Black
Earl Grey Black
Creamy Earl Grey Black
Pueblo Grey Black
Organic Ginger Orange Green Chai
Nepalese/Darjeeling/Yunnan Gold Black blend
Organic Peppermint Herbal
Bukhial Assam
Organic Grace of Lakshmi Tulsi
Organic Sunburst Ginger Herbal
Yunnan Gold Chinese Black

PRE-ORDER SALE

Act quickly, I need to get this order done tomorrow or Tuesday at the latest!

I'll be placing an order this week for the following tea and herbal products:

Organic Green Rooibos Herbal
Creamy Earl Grey Black Tea
Organic Sangria Rooibos Herbal
Mango Papaya Peach Rooibos Herbal
Organic Freshwater Pearls Jasmine Green Tea
Organic Peppermint Herbal
Organic Sunburst Ginger Herbal
Oaxacan Coffee Grill Rub

This order will also allow us to reblend our Ginger Peach Herbal and our Organic Grace of Lakshmi Tulsi Herbal.

Within the next week or two I also will place orders for:

Peach Apricot Honeybush Herbal
Scottish Breakfast Black Tea
Earl Grey Black Tea
Strawberry Rhubarb Green Tea
Irish Breakfast Black Tea
Bukhial 2nd Flush Assam Black Tea
Yunnan Gold Chinese Black Tea

Those orders will allow us to reblend:

Pueblo Grey Black Tea
"Hate to Kill You" Black Tea
"Hate to Die" Black Tea

Because these orders will certainly be happening within a short timeframe, I'm allowing for orders to be paid for in advance in exchange for a 20% discount, ON THESE TEAS ONLY. Doing this helps me make sure I order the proper amount, and depending on how many people respond to this sale, could help us get the orders done sooner rather than later.

THE PEANUT SALE

Oops, been so busy celebrating the Peanut, we haven't had a chance to mention the Peanut sale!

In honor of my daughter's birthday last week, for the next two weeks (since we're late posting this, we'll count today as Day One), the larger your order, the more you save. Your first item is regular priced, after that we'll take 5% off the total order for every item you purchase, up to 20%. So two items saves you 5%, three items 10%, four items 15%, and five or more items 20%.

So, whether you need to restock your tea supply, or you've been eyeing a tea pot we have for sale but just couldn't afford to get it, now's your chance to get the things you need at the price you want!

Sadly, sometimes, change is inevitable, even change you hoped never had to come.

One of our favorite vendors, Lupicia, is closing its American operations this month, and being that it's February, that's really this week. They've been a part of our repertoire since the beginning days, and anyone that knows our iced tea products knows and loves our Sakurambo Blackk, maybe our Melon Oolong Teamonade. They've been a great partner, and I hope in the future they'll open their doors to us again, we'll be waiting with open arms if they do.

But in the meanwhile, I'm trying to put together one final order from them. Below is a list of the teas we get from them, if any of them are something you'd want, let me know TODAY! They're closing their doors next week, but I'm sure some of their products are already gone. As an added incentive, we'll include our Peanut Sale pricing on any order you put together, meaning you may get up to 20% off the order depending on how many items you order.

Cookie Black Tea
Grapefruit Green Tea
Jardin Sauvage (mango/citron Rooibos)
Keemun Queen's Hope Chinese Black Tea
Melon Oolong (honeydew flavor)
Momo Oolong (peach flavor)
Ripe Mango Oolong
Sakurambo (Japanese cherry black tea)
Sakurambo Vert (Japanese cherry green tea)
Strawberry and Vanilla Green Tea

Xin Nian Kuai Le!

For the duration of the Chinese New Year, all Chinese and Taiwanese products are 10% off. Or if you really feel like going for broke, put together five or more Chinese teas or teawares in one order and we'll take 20% off. These discounts apply to our pending products as well, so now's a great time to stock up!

PENDING ORDERS

Didn't see something you like on our availability list? See what we'll be bringing in over the next few weeks!

WHITE TEAS: Almond Pear Chai, Tropical, Cran-Raspberry, Jasmine Silver Needle, Org. Kanchanjangha Nepalese (two varieties), Poobong Darjeeling, Org. Silver Needle Chinese, Org. White Peony Chinese.

GREEN TEAS: Strawberry Rhubarb, Key Lime, Mango Papaya, Grapefruit, Griffin Blend (with sage), Org. Harendong Long Leaf, Org. Harendong Rolled Leaf, Org. Houjicha Japanese, Gyokuro Japanese, Kukicha Japanese, Sencha Japanese, Lu Shan Clouds and Mist Chinese, Org. Moroccan Mint, Org. Kanchanjangha Nepalese (two varieties), Strawberry and Vanilla, Lotus Vietnamese.

OOLONG TEAS: Taiwanese Milk Oolong, Da Hong Pao "Big Red Robe" Rock Oolong, Org. Harendong Light Roast, Org. Harendong Medium Roast, Melon, Org. Oriental Beauty, Ti Kuan Yin Chinese.

BLACK TEAS: Ajiri Kenyan, Apricot, Scottish Breakfast, Earl Grey, Creamy Earl Grey, Pueblo Grey, Savannah Spice Chai, Southern Pecan, Nepalese/Darjeeling/Yunnan Gold blend, Org. Harendong Long Leaf, Org. Harendong Rolled Leaf, Irish Breakfast, Keemun Chinese, Moonlit Serenade (tropical), Sakurambo (Japanese Cherry), Bukhial Assam, Org. Kanchanjangha Nepalese (one variety), 2nd Flush Darjeeling, Temi Sikkim, Yunnan Gold Chinese, Org. Yunnan Supreme Chinese.

ROOIBOS HERBAL: Org. Schnookums Blend, Org. Sangria, Lavender/Coconut, Pomegranate, Mango/Papaya/Peach, Mango Citron.

HONEYBUSH HERBAL: Org. Boogie Bear Blend, Peach Apricot, Pinenut chai.

FRUIT HERBAL: Strawberry/Cherry.

TULSI HERBAL: Org. Tulsi Chai.

MATE HERBAL: Org. Green Mate, Org. Roasted Mate.

LAPACHO HERBAL: Orange Almond.

HERBAL: Org. Nettles, Org. Red Raspberry Leaf, Ginger Peach, Org. Chamomile, Coconut Chamomile, Org. Hibiscus, Org. Lemongrass, Org. Peppermint, Org. Sage, Org. Spearmint, Org. Sunburst Ginger.

SPICES: Kashmiri Masala, Organic Ras al Hanout Moroccan, Oaxacan Coffee Rub, Sichuan Peppercorn.

So, why do we put out a list of things to come?

First and foremost, to let you know what Ausperitea, typically, has to offer. Combined with our currently available list, this shows you the full product breadth we carry, through most of the year.

Second, as it comes time to reorder product, it gives me a sense of what and how much I need to order. Sometimes, if I get enough requests, it can also accelerate the order, knowing that it will quickly find an audience.

With the Pending list, there is no need to pay up front... yet. When we're about to place the order, I'll contact you and leave you the option to pay up front, at a discount. It saves me from having to figure out where the money for the order is going to come from, and it gives you what you want at an even better price, a win-win.

This list will probably grow as we continue to try new products, so drop in once in a while to see what we're up to!

ONE DAY ONLY!

I lost my market today due to rain, but my misfortune can be your gain, if you're quick enough!

To make up for lost revenues, I'm running a special sale today. Any purchases from our current product list, or requests from our pending list that I'll post after this, will get 10% off, in addition to other sales that we normally run.

To go for broke, I'll also offer free shipping for any orders over $50 (after the sales have been applied).

Feel like a rainy day is a good day to think about what you need to restock in your tea cabinet? Then

1) check out our current availability. I update that post and peg it to the top of the page, so you should see it right away when you visit us on Facebook.

2) check if any teas we'll be ordering in the coming weeks are of interest to you. Since they're pending you don't have to make a purchase of them, just let me know you'd be interested and how much you want, though for any discounts on shipping mentioned above, you may need to wait for me to get those items in before I send out your shipment.

3) contact me, either by replying to this post, leaving me a message on our page, emailing me ([email protected]), or calling me (520-440-1455).

and most importantly...

4) contact me TODAY! This offer is a one-day offer!

There's a party tomorrow, and you're invited!

December 1, 2008, was the first official day that Ausperitea existed on the books. Of course, the journey to that day had started long before... in 1996, when two days into moving to China a friend of mine made Kung Fu tea for me, changing my life forever... from 1998 to 2002, when one of my favorite ways to spend a day off was to get some friends to go to JiuFen or MaoKong and watch the day go by over tea and conversation... in 2006, when I helped my students perform a tea ceremony for Chinese New Year, which spawned many revisits and our first interest in seeing where a business would take us... definitely in 2008, when I first discovered Da Hong Pao at the Chinese Tea Shop in Vancouver, and realized I had no real choice but to go forward with my passion project. All those moments gave me the knowledge, passion, and conviction to take a chance with fate.

The rest, as they say, is history, and it's a history I talk about often, but I'll save it for now, we'll share that moment again some day over a nice cup of tea. It's commonly held that a good number of businesses don't see the other side of a year (30% to 50% depending on the study), a higher percentage if they're in hospitality, as we are. Nearly half don't make it beyond five. In my time, I've seen countless restaurants, retail stores, farmer's market entrepreneurs come and go, some that you could tell right away didn't have a long-term future, some that truly shocked me, they had existed for so long that I had started to take for granted that they would always be there. Reaching ten business years is not a feat I take lightly, and though we've faced more than our fair share of adversity, making it a decade in a highly specialized product line tells me I have been doing something right.

So here's to you, Ausperitea. Tomorrow I'll be bringing some home baked goods, and some specialty drinks. Come by and celebrate the birthday of my brainchild. I'll likely be putting on some fond favorites, so the tea will be flowing and it's going to be tasty! In addition to that, and as an extra incentive now that our Black Friday sale has turned into our company anniversary sale, any purchases over $10 will be entered into a drawing for a $10 gift certificate. We'll start with one gift certificate, and every ten entries into the drawing that we get, we'll add another... for every FIFTY entries, in addition to the $10 gifts, we'll add an additional $20 gift certificate. Our anniversary sale ends next Friday, we'll add a few more entries to the drawing that weekend during our CommuniTea Pride Day celebration, and then we'll choose our winners, early enough to make use of those prizes before Christmas!

To those who have helped me along the way, my utmost gratitude. To the students that let me buy them pizza and a movie so I could borrow their tastebuds and opinions as we selected our first products, to the customers that fell in love with our product and our mission and have been with us over the years, to those new customers that just discovered us and are planning to make us their first and last stop for all things tea, we wouldn't, couldn't, be here without you. Your support isn't dollars and cents, it's gas in my car to get there, it's the ability to make an order when I need it most, it's the roof over my head, the food in my stomach, the relief I sometimes get from the day's trials. Occasionally it's the movie tickets that let Angelika and I have a memorable Daddy-Daughter date. Mostly, it's validation, that I have a skill and passion that others have a demand for, that I can work on little rest on the weekends, so I can spend my full attention being a father to the greatest kid in the world during the weekdays. It's hope, that sometimes, the little guy gets to win. Here's to ten great years, and the hope that the next ten will be even better!