Photo Credit: Gurung Photography
Americans are drinking more tea, but that’s no surprise to Karen Lillie, owner of Weeds (W62N588 Washington Ave., Cedarburg). At any given time, Weeds features more than 220 varieties of herbal, black, green, white, oolong, rooibos and chai loose-leaf tea and a myriad of tea accessories, and the selection keeps growing.
Weeds is the sister store to Lillies, featuring fairly traded, eco-friendly home goods, clothing and body care products. Karen and her husband, Jim, founded Lillies in 2007 and quickly saw there was a demand for ethically sourced goods that are also good for you—especially tea.
“When we first started out, we had fair trade tea and coffee,” Karen said. “More people were looking for herbal, medicinal-type tea, so we started checking companies that are strong in that area.” Karen has since built relationships with tea companies worldwide. Weeds also carries tea from local companies such as Rishi Tea.
Karen’s daughter, Katie Gurung, and her husband, Bijaya Gurung, also work at Weeds. Bijaya is in charge of the tea department. The family has become well-versed in tea knowledge and lingo, and they’re always trying different teas and taking customer suggestions. Bijaya educates customers in great detail about tea growing and processing methods, or how to properly steep tea.
“Tea packed tightly into bags or a small tea ball constricts the leaves from fully opening up,” he said. “That diminishes the taste and aroma.” He added that quality loose tea could be steeped three or four times over and still retain much of the flavor.
Medicinal teas like nettle or holy basil, as well as chamomile, lavender or cinnamon bark, still draw consistent customer interest. People also seek blends to help with sleep or ease symptoms from allergies or upset stomach. Weeds has eight different teas with turmeric, one of today’s in-demand superfoods. They carry purple leaf tea, which Karen said is grown only in Kenya and is high in antioxidants. The Weeds team is evaluating tea with cannabidiol (CBD) to add to the store.
For those seeking flavor first, Katie and Bijaya noted that green or black almond teas are consistent bestsellers, along with seasonal varieties like summer strawberry or apple strudel. During the holidays, they sold plenty of Candy Cane or Butterscotch tea. Tea can also be aesthetically fun—Weeds has soothing blue hue teas, and tea for kids like Unicorn Sprinkles, Watermelon, Pink Flamingo or Fairy Tale Blend—a night-time mix to help kids relax.
With so many choices, people might be unsure of what they’re looking for, or just want to experiment with new varieties. Weeds has sample packs, so people can try different teas or have a cup of tea at the store.
Weeds also has spices to blend into to tea, along with local raw honey and maple syrup, and gourmet chocolates. Tea accessories include mugs, infusers, balls and travel tea mugs with built-in steepers. The Tea of the Month Club lets customers sign up for three, six or 12-month deliveries of assorted tea from a category of their choice.
Katie said they frequently see coffee drinkers looking to cut back on caffeine, but they think they don’t like tea because it’s not strong enough. When they try a hearty black loose tea such as chestnut or the I Can’t Believe It’s Not Coffee blend, they’re pleasantly surprised by how tea can pack a robust flavor. “We’ve converted a lot of coffee drinkers,” she laughed.
For more information, visit www.lilliesweeds.com.
