Does anyone know our most frequently asked question? I'll bet some of you may have guessed what I'm about to say. If you answered, "Do you have a storefront?" you are correct!! Up until now, our answer was, "Sadly, no we do not." But... That's right!!!! Bittersweet Farm is opening a store! Not just a tea store either, a bistro! So, what is in store for you all in our new place? Tea, of course! By the bag, by the scoop, and by the cup! You can take a cup to go or sit in our bistro and enjoy it there. We'll also be serving up coffee and coffee drinks like cappuccinos and lattes. Hungry? We've got you! We'll be making hot panini or cold sandwiches and wraps, salads, and seasonal soups using local ingredients from CT farms. Local bread from an artisanal bakery, honey for that cup of tea from a local apiary, cookies and sweets... Need a spot to have your book club meeting, Mahjong game, or a place to snatch up some free wi-fi and get some work done? Want to order online and grab your lunch to go? Tea tastings and small parties? Need a cozy chair to curl up in? Welcome to Bittersweet Bistro! 176 Rt. 81 Building 5, Killingworth For those of you that have been our loyal customers, you have followed along as our business has grown and changed. We started way back in 2015 with just 3 types of tea. Our customers expressed a desire for other medicinal teas, caffeinated teas, iced teas, etc., and that helped us grow and adapt to the needs of our community. We expanded to selling wholesale to other stores, vending at bigger shows, and growing our returning customer base. To be honest, I am equally excited as I am terrified! There are so many details, so many legalities, so many balls to keep up in the air, but I am so grateful to have this opportunity. I can't wait to open the doors and welcome you all in, chat with everyone, serve up some healthy, local food, and give you all a place to shop our full and complete line of tea and seasonal products! Follow our journey on Facebook and Instagram, as we repaint, decorate, shop, organize, and move in, and of course, stay glued for our opening day and ribbon-cutting announcement! (Late summer) Be well, Kristy at Bittersweet (Bistro!)

Hello! I'm not about to do anything crazy like promise that this blog will be a weekly thing... After recently celebrating my 44th spin around the sun, I've learned a few things about myself and one is that if I can't figure out how to write a bunch of posts at once and set them to post on a schedule, I will be inconsistent with this blogging effort. Truthfully, I've always wanted to blog my days at Bittersweet and the farmers market that I run, with a bit of personal and a lot of funny sprinkled in. Not only do I think that blogs are fun to read if they are about topics that interest you, I feel that you can learn a fair bit from them and if written well, it can be like reading a small autobiography. The other truth is that before I was a gardener, herbalist, and small business owner, I was a writer. My first love, you could say, was writing. My degrees are in English and Literature, and my first 'fancy' job was "assistant editor' and writer at a newspaper. So, what CAN you expect from this blog? I'd say a fair dose of gardening, harvesting herbs, tea making, product chatter, farmers market goings on, and the trials and tribulations of running a small business. If this is interesting, then welcome! I hope you stay. Somewhere on this website, there's a place for you to subscribe to these blog posts. You'll get a notification when I post something new, or you can randomly check my website and pop in on your own accord. For now, I will leave this one as is and work on my next post which will focus on the beginnings of harvesting herbs this season, the opening of the farmers market, and the daily ramblings of Bittersweet Farm! Feel free to tell me what you'd like to see in these blogs - send me some topic ideas! Be well, Kristy @ Bittersweet

Future home of the Bittersweet Blog Spot

Bittersweet Farm has turned into Bittersweet Bistro! Check out our full line of teas and stop in for lunch in Killingworth, CT. We source most of our ingredients from local businesses, from the coffee to the tomatoes! Bittersweet Farm and tea company SHOP TEAS SHOP OTHER PRODUCTS Hey! Glad you're here! Welcome to our exceptional herbal & beverage tea collection! We pride ourselves on using only the finest ingredients, many sourced directly from our small farm in Higganum, CT. Unlike grocery store teas, our blends showcase recognizable ingredients that you can see and appreciate. Never crushed, never powdered. With an abundance of health benefits and rich flavors, our all-natural herbal teas deliver unparalleled comfort and satisfaction in every cup! We also offer beverage, (caffeinated teas), made with the same recognizable, healthy ingredients. A MESSAGE TO OUR LOYAL CUSTOMERS It’s been an amazing decade, running Bittersweet Farm and Tea Co. and I’ve been blessed to be surrounded by the most loyal customers and great vendor friends. The time has come, however, to close the proverbial doors to my businesses and move on. This holiday season will be my last, and I really hope to go out with a bang! I can’t thank you all enough for supporting me on this journey. It’s been amazing to make a whole life out of an idea that just sort of came to me and evolved over the last 10 years. I wouldn’t trade it for the world, and I regret absolutely nothing, but I am looking forward to seeing what the world has in store for me next. I hope I get to see you all at the fall and holiday shows, where I’ll be until supplies run out and I close the doors for good. You can still shop the website for the next few months, and I will update the inventory as needed so you can always count on getting what you order. I've also put the entire fall and holiday line on the site, as of now, so that you can order ahead of the season if you wish. Xoxo, Kristy Join the Club Join our email list and get access to special deals, only available to our subscribers! Subscribe Now Thanks for submitting! Handcrafted in small batches Locally grown herbs Unique recipes We use and stock over 100 herbs and spices to make more than 60 tea blends Click here to learn more! Bittersweet Farm Events Higganum Farmers Market - Every Wednesday starting June 4th- Brainerd Library, 430-730pm Curious about where to find our teas? Click here ! Iced Teas Quick View New for Summer! Hibiscus Green Iced Tea Price $9.00 Add to Cart Quick View Iced Fruit Cocktail Price $9.00 Add to Cart Quick View Iced Lemony Black tea Price $9.00 Add to Cart Quick View Go Green Tea Price $9.00 Add to Cart Quick View Once in a Blue Moon Tea Price $9.00 Add to Cart Quick View New! E-book! Beginner Gardening; an e-book notebook from Bittersweet Farm Price $10.00 Add to Cart Quick View New! Pre-Filled Tea Bags Price $9.00 Add to Cart Quick View New For Spring! Black Cherry Berry Price $9.00 Add to Cart Quick View New For Spring! Black Currant Tea Price $9.00 Add to Cart Quick View Berry Bramble Honeybush Price $9.00 Add to Cart Quick View Very Berry Orange Price $9.00 Add to Cart Quick View Good Vibes Tea Price $9.00 Add to Cart Quick View Cran-Orange Honeybush Price $9.00 Add to Cart Quick View Summertime Iced Tea Price $9.00 Add to Cart Quick View Just Peachy Tea Price $9.00 Add to Cart Quick View Hibiscus Tea Price $9.00 Add to Cart Best sellers Quick View Anti-Inflammatory Tea Price $9.00 Quick View Fibro-Be-Gone Tea Price $9.00 Quick View Ginger Lemon Tea Price $9.00 Quick View Just Peachy Tea Price $9.00 Quick View DIY Elderberry Syrup Kit Price $20.00 Quick View Black Turmeric Chai Price $9.00 Quick View New for 2025 Orange & Black - new blend Price $9.00 Quick View Detox NaturallyTea Price $9.00 Quick View Good Vibes Tea Price $9.00 Quick View Lift the Fog - Earl Grey Price $9.00 Quick View Blood Pressure Support Tea Price $9.00 Quick View Very Berry Orange Price $9.00 Quick View Vanilla Coconut Rooibos Price $9.00 Quick View Stomach Settler Tea Price $9.00 Quick View Go Green Tea Price $9.00

TESTIMONIALS COMING SOON Coming Soon COMING SOON Coming Soon COMING SOON Coming Soon COMING SOON

Brewing Instructions Below you will find some tips and tricks on how to make the perfect cup of tea HOW TO BOIL WATER... ... for tea! Every type of tea leaf has an ideal temperature and time. The following list is meant to be a general ballpark idea, not an exact science. BLACK TEA - boiling point, let steep for 3-5 minutes GREEN TEA - under boiling point, let steep for 2-4 minutes WHITE TEA - under boiling point, let steep for 3 minutes OOLONG TEA - boiling point, let steep for 3-4 minutes CHAI TEA - boiling point, let steep for 5 minutes HERBAL TEA - boiling point, let steep for 5-7 minutes ROOBIOS TEA - boiling point, let steep for 5-7 minutes HIBISCUS TEA - boiling point, let steep for 5-7 minutes CHAMOMILE TEA - boiling point, let steep for 5-7 minutes DARJEELING TEA - boiling point, let steep for 3-5 minutes FOR REFERENCE, BOILING WATER IS USUALLY ABOUT 200 DEGREES - GREEN AND WHITE TEA TASTE BETTER WHEN BREWED AT A LOWER TEMPERATURE, ABOUT 175 DEGREES. NOTES ON MAKING TEA HOT BREW - We recommend using about 1 tbsp of our tea per 8 oz. of water. It's a common misconception that letting tea/herbs steep longer results in stronger tea. So we recommend using more tea if you are looking for more flavor. Click here to see our recommended tea bags and tea balls. COLD BREW - We prefer to make our tea hot and let it cool down naturally for an iced tea mixture. We brew it the same way as explained above, but we double the amount of tea/herbs per ounce of water. OUR METHOD - Calculate the amount of iced tea you want to end up with and figure 1 1/2 tbsp per ounce. Bring water to a boil, add tea, and turn it off. Let steep for 20-30 minutes and remove the tea bag. If you are adding sweetener, do so now while it's still warm. We have found that light brown sugar is a crowd-pleaser and not overly sweet. We use it sparingly. Place your warm brewed tea in the fridge overnight. CHAI TEA - How to make a Chai latte at home without a frothing machine- you have choices! You can whisk the milk in a saucepan while it's heating on the stove.. you can place milk in a mason jar and shake it vigorously and then heat it up, (works especially well with whole milk and any nut milk) or froth milk with an immersion blender before heating it up (this works well for non-dairy kinds of milk as well as whole or nut-based milk). Combine your hot brewed tea with your frothed milk, and add sugar to taste. FUN TIP - take some extra tea and freeze it in ice cube trays. The next day, when your iced tea is ready, drop a few cubes in and it won't water down your iced tea at all! Extra fun tip, tuck a few fresh mint leaves in those iced tea cubes before freezing. Now that you know how to brew tea, head over to our Teas page and check out our wide Tea selection, made with locally sourced ingredients, and find your perfect Tea!