Photo Credit: Emily EEineichner
Swaye Tea owners Shiree Bass-Henry and Aisha Henry began selling tea blends, herbs and wellness products like elderberry syrup online and at farmers markets and pop-up events in 2016. On Saturday, July 13, the couple opened their brick-and-mortar Swaye Tea store at 7326 W. Greenfield Ave., where customers can come to experience the sensorial delights of tea and get guidance on the healing power of herbs.
Swaye is the Haitian Creole verb for “heal,” and Bass-Henry said she had discovered the health benefits of herbs to self-correct a health issue. “Swaye started out of necessity,” she says. “I had acid reflux and general stomach issues, and it was hard to see a specialist for that, so I just started to learn to do different things to fix it on my own.” She experimented with teas and herbal tea blends (also called tisanes) and began a path of self-study in herbalism. She’s currently studying to become a holistic health practitioner through the American College of Health Care Sciences, based in Portland, Ore.
Swaye Tea carries 40 different herbal blends, most of which are developed by Shiree and Aisha. “Each one has a general purpose but also a specific use,” Bass-Henry says. “Happy Man is for prostate health; Energizer is for energy. It’s a fennel-based blend, with jasmine, hibiscus, cinnamon, ginger and peppermint.” The Turmeric Chai blend provides a convenient way to get a dose of turmeric, which has made news lately for the anti-inflammatory properties found in its active compound, curcumin. There’s also the aromatic Cinnamon Orange or Every Spice blends, each with specific wellness properties.
Swaye’s own line of bottled iced teas includes Hi-Biscus Mint (with 200 milligrams of cannabidiol!), formulated to help lower cholesterol and high blood pressure. Swaye Tea also sells loose-leaf traditional teas such as oolong, white tea, green tea and specific blends. In addition, they have 60 different whole herbs, including anise seed and black cohosh root, tea accessories and wellness products, such as elderberry syrup, Egyptian Black Seed Oil and honey. Bass-Henry says they can also make custom blends for specific requests.
They source from Mountain Rose—supplier of certified-organic, fair-trade and kosher herbs—and from Frontier Co-op, a cooperatively owned wholesaler of sustainable spices, herbs and teas. They also get some items from a Wisconsin supplier.
With myriad types of tea, it can be challenging to know what to look for. “It’s based on a person’s preference,” Bass-Henry says. “My initial question is: What type of tea do you like? Why do you drink tea? It could be because you just like the taste or for a specific purpose, like trying to soothe a cold or relax at the end of the day.”
Bass-Henry firmly states that loose-leaf tea is in its natural state and purer than many commercial teas packaged in tea bags, because those are often processed and ground up. People also tend to over-steep or under-steep their tea. “For traditional, leafy herb tea, you don’t want to oversteep it. An average steep time is no more than four to five minutes. Anything that’s root-based, like ginger root, turmeric or licorice root, should be steeped longer, because you’re extracting from the root.”
Swaye Tea hosts special events and tea classes. Their upcoming “Tea and Conversation” event (Monday, Oct. 14, at 6 p.m.) will feature samples and education on different blends. They will launch a book club in November. “We are very happy to finally be in a stationary place,” Bass-Henry enthuses.
For more information, visit swayetea.com or facebook.com/swayetea.
