a Tea fan holding a handful of dried catnip to Blend into Monks Meditation Artisan Loose Tea

Stories Behind the Blend: Monks Meditation

April 10, 2024

In life, it is common for things to not turn out quite as expected, and that is exactly the case with Monks Meditation .

As many of you know, Piper and Leaf started out at Greene Street farmer's market. As an aspiring tea company with no idea what was the next 10 (almost 11) years had in store, we had a few blends for people to sample, to get a taste of who we were. One thing in the South is tried and true, and that is sweet tea. So, artisan tea company or not, we knew that our standard, southern classic tea blend had to be a good one.

While Front Porch Special is now lovingly known as our Southern Classic tea blend, this was not always the case. Front Porch Special came along a little later into our tea journey.

Early on in the story of Piper and Leaf, Monks Meditation started as our attempt to win the hearts of local, southern tea drinkers. Monks Meditation set the bar for our standard Southern Classic tea, winning hearts and converting even the most loyal fans of other tea companies to Piper and Leaf enthusiasts... until Front Porch Special came along, but you can read here for more about Front Porch Special's beginnings!

Whole Ingredients of Monks Meditation Artisan Black Tea for Stress and Calming

Now I know what you may be thinking. Catnip? In tea?

Fun fact for those who may not know: Catnip is a part of the mint family known as Lamiaceae!

Lamiaceae or Labiatae are a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint, deadnettle or sage family.

A Tea fan hand picking ingredients (catnip) for drying and Blending into Artisan Black Tea Monks Meditation to reduce Stress

This is the eldest Knapp sister, Faith, hand-picking catnip to be dried and blended into Monks Meditation

Catnip is notorious for driving our beloved four-legged friends with 9 lives crazy. This is because the main ingredient in catnip is called nepetalactone. Nepetalactone is known for stimulating certain brain chemicals related to mood and happiness! While this may make cats bounce off the walls, catnip does the opposite for humans. It has calming properties and can even promote relaxation! Read why you should drink more catnip tea!

Though Monks Meditation turned out to be not quite what we expected, this fruity black tea blend is loved by many. Our new Monks Meditation seasonal box is filled with tea that can keep up with you; a box of adventures waiting to happen! So whether you prefer to savor it hot, iced, or even on the go, we are here to cater to you with every blissful sip.

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