SPRING 2014 • FLOURISH 37
prepare it. We fill that gap with educa-
tion and approachable products."
Hunt christens all her blends with in-
formative descriptions and clever names
like "Call Me a Cab(ernet)," a combina-
tion of berry and
hibiscus, and
"Fortune Cookie,"
a green tea with
toasted coconut
and almond fla-
vors. An ingenious
system involving
small glass jars
and magnets en-
ables customers to
look at and smell
the tea before
Hunt brews a sam-
ple to taste.
In addition to
tea, Dragonfly Tea
Shop also sells lo-
cal honey, scented
candles, and plen-
ty of tea ware, including an excellent
selection of steepers for every occasion.
Holly's masterful merchandizing skills
and warm demeanor ensure that shop-
ping for tea is fun, not overwhelming.
Says Holly, "People walk in and tell
me, 'It feels so good in here.' They sense
my passion for tea and my desire to cre-
ate an amazing tea experience."
Desta Epicures Guild
To Emebet Bellingham Korn, owner
of Desta Epicures
Guild, tea is not
just a beverage, it's
an art form.
Korn grew up
in Ethiopia, where
she drank herbal
teas she crafted
from the bounty
in her mother's
botanical garden.
Today, she infuses
her line of 62 teas
with the lessons
she learned back
then. Respect the
tea. Respect the
farmer. Respect
the earth.
For example,
Korn insists on creating blends herself,
hand-mixing tea leaves, roots, berries,
herbs and spices to create an optimal
flavor and therapeutic profile. She
eschews chemically-produced "natu-
ral flavors," instead coaxing fruit and
herbal essences from the whole foods
Other Places to sip
RED lOTus
260A Petaluma Blvd N, Petaluma
(707) 769-8088 | Hours: M-Sun. 11- 6
Free tastings daily. Check their
Facebook page — redlotuspetaluma.
facebook.com — for information
about special events, tea ceremony by
appointment, and expanded tastings
Tuesdays from 3-5 p.m.
Tastings: Yes
TEA FOunTAIn
363 Miller Ave., Mill Valley
(415) 381-7100 | Hours: M-Sat. 10-5
Proprietor Rover Benecke offers 350
fine loose leaf teas and tea accesso-
ries.
Tastings: No
InFusIOns
6988 McKinley, Sebastopol
Tel: (707) 829 1181 | Hours: M-Sat. 9
a.m. - 8 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
A restaurant, tea house and proprietor
of fine chocolates, Infusions offers free
"tea of the day" in a pump pot, tea
service and loose leaf tea for pur-
chase.
Tastings/Brewed samples: Yes
Holly Hunt of Dragonfly Tea Company
Emebet Bellingham Korn of Desta Epicures Guild
