For Coloradans who live for the outdoors — that’s most of us — the parade of gray and wet through spring and early summer limited time spent on the trail, in the saddle and behind the grill.
But that was then. Summer’s heat and sun have arrived, and pleasing outdoor weather tends to stick around along the Front Range well into October. It’s time to hit the trails.
With all of that activity comes a need for energy, and not just the kind that arrives in jolts before dissipating — that’s you, coffee.
There’s a reason many people in Asia drink tea all day long. It provides energy, largely through caffeine, but concentrations of caffeine are diminished in tea. As a result, tea drinkers imbibe all day, providing themselves with a steady stream of consistent energy, rather than a big wallop, followed by a swift decline.
We carry hundreds of teas at Ku Cha. Most of them serve as excellent partners for your busy summer of activity. But we selected three that we think are especially well-suited for all-day summertime energy: a traditional Chinese green tea, a powdered Japanese tea, and an herbal tea filled with energy-boosting herbs (as well as black tea).
Drinking Warm Tea Smart on Hot Days
First, however, we want to trumpet something important for summer activity. While we are huge fans of iced tea, we also think that hot tea is ideal for summer pursuits.
People in hot climates often eat a lot of spicy food, and they also drink hot beverages. Why? Because both — spices, and hot beverages — promote sweat. It seems counterintuitive, but we should encourage sweat when we are enjoying our time outside, because when sweat evaporates on our skin, it helps cool us down.
We are huge fans of the Pao Thermo Mug, which we carry in the shop and sell online. The device lets you brew loose tea in a travel mug in a way that separates the tea leaves from the hot water once the brewing is finished. When we head out into the trails on a hot day — or even when we are just gardening in the yard, taking a neighborhood walk, or watching a kid’s soccer game — we fill the Pao with whatever tea we desire, add the hot water, and head out for the activity.
It’s an ingenious device, and perfect for people who like to travel with the best kind of tea in the world, which is tea brewed from leaves rather than tea bags.
Three Teas to Rock Your Summer and Fall
Boulder Boost: This tea contains black tea for caffeine and flavor, but it supplements the black tea with a variety of herbs that are perfect for outdoor activities. Rooibos leaves, for example, provide electrolytes, which are important for endurance. Tulsi, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and fennel help stimulate energy and sweat. Vanilla and rose help balance the spices. And guayusa, which comes from the Ecuadorian rainforest, provides caffeine along with the black tea. Anybody headed out for a day on the trails will benefit from a travel mug or bottle filled with warm Boulder Boost.
Matcha: You have probably heard of matcha, the powdered green tea beloved across Japan and now used as a coloring and flavor ingredient in everything from mochi to smoothies to pastries (including some of ours). Antioxidants, minerals and vitamins are concentrated in matcha, and caffeine is boosted as well. In addition, matcha promotes just the right amount of sweat to promote evaporation and comfortable climate control.
Da Hong Pao: The Chinese name for this tea translates as “Big Red Robe,” and it is the most famous of the Yan Cha, or “rock teas,” from the Wu Yi mountains of China. This heavily oxidized oolong tea, which has a hint of flower fragrance, is grown in the most highly regarded tea-growing area of China, a mountainous region of mineral-rich soil that supports some of the world’s most flavorful and interesting teas. Like all green teas, it provides all-day energy. The flavor is superb. And we like it for Boulder activities, too, because of the mountain connection!
