Written by Sofia Ritz, Graphic by Sofia Ritz.
The Davenport House Museum has created a platform to showcase local artisans, along with their stories and processes, out of their historic building on Broughton Street.
Their most recent experience was a tea tasting held April 6th, in the Kennedy Pharmacy, located in the back of the Davenport House. This intimate showing featured a crash course on all things tea from expert ‘tea sommelier,’ Wayne Ashford. His business, The Ashford Tea Company, provides tea tastings, distribution, and catering. He’s been in business for over 30 years, and works locally here in Savannah.
This event in particular covered the different types of tea and their origins (white, green, black and oolong, all from the Tea Tree plant), health benefits of tea, (it has 16 amino acids!), the caffeine differences between coffee and tea, and the importance of hydration. Ashford believes tea should be the second most-drank beverage, period. Second only to water, of course.
Within his presentation he highlighted the Artisan Spotlight initiative and his appreciation for this practice of coming together and sharing our stories and passions with one another. He even has a special Scottish blend unique to the Davenport House, not sold elsewhere. The highlight of this tasting, however, was Ashford’s “Savannah Palmer.” A take on the classic Arnold Palmer, this tea blend includes a lemon-herb mixture, imitating the lemonade in a traditional Palmer. The result is a tangy, sweet and refreshing tea, light yet bursting with flavor.
A perk of attending was a tin canister of the Savannah Palmer mix to take home, along with a handy tea infuser. I would absolutely recommend attending one of Ashford’s tea tastings, as well as future Artisan Spotlight events, such as their Mother’s Day Cooking Demo & Tasting on Saturday, May 11, and their Spring Blooms Floral Artistry Workshop on Saturday, June 8. These are excellent opportunities to participate in Savannah’s arts scene, with a hands-on spin.
