BEHIND THE CRAFT
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Dumping Tea in Boston Harbour

Marking a pivotal moment in American history, The Boston Tea Party of 1773 is inextricably linked to The East India Company. Our Signature Caddy ‘Boston’ blend of tea captures the moment in a lithograph by Nathanial Currier.

An American lithographer (& New York fireman), he was famous for creating popular art, political cartoons, and capturing historical events.

Created in 1846, you can see the Sons of Liberty, led by Samuel Adams, in disguise as Mohawk Indians complete with feathers, dumping the tea into Boston Harbour, at Griffin’s wharf. Not just a few crates - 45 tonnes of tea were dumped!

The energy of the picture is palpable - the tea crates held dramatically overhead to be hurled. Find our more about the Boston Tea Party, why it happened and what happened next.

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The Boston Tea Party Loose Leaf Black Tea Caddy 100g

Net Weight: 100g

A flavourful medium-bodied tea based on the original varieties thrown overboard during the famous Boston Tea Party in 1773, the catalyst for American Independence.

The East India Company - Lifestyle

Tea

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£20.00

A revolutionary tea in the true sense of the word.

In 2023, it will be the 250th anniversary of the Boston Teas Party, a critical ingredient perhaps on the road to American independence from the British.

For our 'Boston' blend, our Tea Master has skilfully combined teas from China to create a medium-bodied blend which is both flavourful and offers notes of cocoa with a fruity aroma.  Best served without milk and sugar. 

About one quarter of the tea on board the ships in Boston harbour would have been green teas. It was included on the shipment because it was one of the tea types of which The East India Company had too much inventory back in London - they were effectively trying to get rid of it, and they succeeded but not quite in the way imagined!

The tea was worth £10,000 at the time, worth more than $1.7mUS in today's money. 

A rich brown colour in cup.

A fruity aroma

Medium-bodied with rich cocoa notes.
A flavourful morning brew with breakfast and the newspaper.
Quantity

2.5 GRAMS OF TEA LEAVES PER CUP

Temperature

200ML OF WATER AT 100ºC

Brewing Time

4 MINS BREWING TIME


We recommend a good splash of milk and a generous spoonful of demerara sugar.

Ingredients

Black Tea

Storage

Store in a cool, dry place avoiding direct sunlight and strong odours. Once opened, store in an airtight container and consume within 3 months.

Stories

What caused the Boston Tea Party?

The East India Company was in trouble.

In the mid-18th century, the Company was in debt and sat on huge stocks of tea in London. The British Parliament bailed them out with the Tea Act of 1773, a bill passed with a nod and a wink, significantly lowering the duty that the Company paid on its tea and enabling direct shipping from China to America only by the Company.

Tea could only enter the colonies legally from England, but now with competitive advantage the Company was in a position to dominate the American market, tea being very popular on the East coast. Furthermore, whilst duty was removed in Britain, it was still levied on the colonists on the import of the tea.

Legitimate competitor traders and smugglers objected, but it was the colonists’ objection that was heard loudest.
Samuel Adams, an influential political local leader, led a series of the protest meetings, the largest of which numbered 8000 attendees.

And when 3 East India ships, the Dartmouth, Eleanor, and Beaver all bearing tea, arriving in Boston, Governor Thomas Hutchinson struggled to even have the ships anchor in the harbour.

Strength of feeling was such that the ships’ captains wanted to turn around without unloading and receipt of duty payable, supported fully by the local patriots. But the Governor did not allow it, blockading the port, demanding the tea be unloaded.

Ad so, Adams and a “party” of 60 radical anti-British patriots, now disguised as Mohawk Indians, boarded the ships and tipped, in today’s money, $1m of tea into the harbour waters.

The furious British Government reacted of course, that’s another story…

Our spirit delivers no ordinary products

  • FAQ

    Does this tea include caffeine and is there more or less than in coffee?
    Yes, all tea like coffee, contains caffeine. The amount in both teas and coffees does vary, depending on the type, but typically Sri Lankan black tea is lighter than other teas in caffeine content, usually between 50 and 90mg for a normally brewed 230ml serving. This compares to about 95mg for a normal cup of coffee. The best advice is to treat tea and coffee similarly if you have a problem with caffeine.

    I’ve heard that tea contains theanine. What is it and what does it do?
    Tea does indeed contain theanine, which is an amino acid [the building blocks of proteins]. Tea is one of only a few sources of theanine. It represents about 1% of dry weight and is at its highest concentrate in shade-grown teas like matcha and gyokuro. Whilst not yet proven in scientific studies that would permit specific health claims to be made, it is believed by many to be able to reduce mental and physical stress, promote relaxation and a sense of well-being. But not only that, it is more recently being thought to aid cognitive function. It’s one explanation for tea’s famous ability to create calm in a crisis [the Great British solution to all problems – ‘putting the kettle on’] and to stimulate when a little boost is required.

  • Delivery & Returns

    UK Standard Delivery: £3.95
    UK Next Day Delivery (mainland UK only): £9.95 (Order before 12pm)
    International Delivery is available, please see our delivery page for details. For more information and Terms & Conditions, please see our Delivery page.

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