Shenandoah – National Park Tea

The Blue Ridge Mountains are believed to be over 500 million years old, making this one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world. They were named for the blue hue that is visible when viewed from afar. Shenandoah National Park is comprised of part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, with the broad Shenandoah River and Valley on the west side, and the rolling hills of the Virginia Piedmont on the east.

In the early 1900’s, amid the growing urbanization of America, people needed a place for recreation and refuge outside of city limits, so mountain resorts and summer vacation homes became much-needed getaways. The area now known as Shenandoah National Park was one of the popular tourist destinations. In 1929, the same year Simpson & Vail was incorporated, President Herbert Hoover, seeking solace in the wilderness, built a family vacation home within the Blue Ridge Mountains and helped materialize the construction of the, now famous, scenic Skyline Drive, which runs the full length of Shenandoah National Park.

Congress authorized the National Park Service in 1925 to acquire land to form Shenandoah National Park. However, they also deemed that no federal funds could be used, and Virginia was left to raise private funds to create this park. With a recommendation from the Southern Appalachian National Park Committee, the northern portion of the Blue Ridge Mountains was authorized as an official national park in 1935.

The spectacular Blue Ridge Mountains and lush forests that comprise Shenandoah National Park served as the inspiration for our refreshing, misty green colored cup. With the plethora of fruits, herbs, and flowers found in Shenandoah, narrowing down the many choices took some time and testing. Ultimately, I settled on a blend that makes you feel like you’re on a relaxing vacation among the thousands of green trees and flowers throughout the park. The lively notes of lemon are accompanied by a hint of ginger and a delicate elderberry finish. A bonus to this blend is the addition of the butterfly pea flowers-get a blue flower in your teaspoon to experience a unique blue/green colored cup.

Ingredients: Green tea, lemon peel, ginger pieces, natural lemon flavor, elderberry flavor, and butterfly pea flowers.

Brew tea at 180º – steep for 2 minutes.

4 Ounces of loose tea makes approximately 50 cups of tea.

Please note that the photo is shown for our 4oz tin. We are also offering this in a 4oz pkg size, which will come in one of our double lined bags labeled with the name of the tea.

We DONATE 10% of all tea sales in this line to help preserve our beautiful National Parks. The percentage from Shenandoah Tea sales goes to the Shenandoah National Park Trust , the official non-profit of the park. As the official philanthropic partner of Shenandoah National Park, the Trust invests you philanthropic dollars in park programs and initiatives to ensure Shenandoah National Park remains a crown jewel of the National Park Service and national treasure for all to enjoy for generations to come.

In 2016 I started, while in college, working here at Simpson & Vail. I’ve enjoyed exploring the world of teas and decided in 2019 to combine my love of tea with my passion for the great outdoors. My goal with this line is to do my part in preserving the beautiful lands designated as national parks and to raise awareness for why the parks are so important. I’ve seen only a small portion of the unique lands we call National Parks, however, I’ll continue exploring until I’ve seen them all.