Welcome to the first installment of Thé Time. In French, “thé” means tea.

I decided to start this column partly to talk up all the good tea sold locally in St. Louis. You might not expect this, but St. Louis is a tea town (I’m going to see how many times I can say tea in one paragraph).

It definitely surprises me because I associate tea with places in the Pacific Northwest like Portland. When I was there a couple years ago, I went to a café that specialized in tea. Coffee wasn’t even on the menu. People sipped their blends in a dimly lit room, read, and occasionally stared at one another. It was very Portland.

Even though a place like that doesn’t exist here, there are many good local tea brands. I like buying local because it makes me feel like I’m giving back to the community. The things I buy local also tend to be fresher or better tasting than something I’d buy from the grocery store.

I usually spend a little more on tea but I justify it to myself for the two reasons I mentioned above. Plus, I drink it everyday. My morning routine is me running into my office (usually late), throwing down my bags, grabbing my tea pot, placing tea in the infuser, and filling up the pot with hot water. I don’t really feel like my morning has started until I’ve completed this ritual.

This week, I wanted to tell you about Conscious Apothecary. I discovered the tea at Lemon Gem, a cute little kitchen goods store a few blocks away from where I work. I took a chance on it because honestly, I liked the logo and I needed some loose leaf tea for my new ceramic teapot.

I’m so happy that I bought it. I’ve tried a few of their blends, but one of my favorites is the one I’m currently drinking. It has tulsi, lemon verbena, lemon peel, elderflower, and my favorite spice, cardamom. It’s fresh, citrusy, and warming, the perfect blend for cold fall and winter mornings. It’s also good if you run out of the house wearing only a sweater poncho and a dress and realize that it’s 20 degrees too cold for your fashion choices.

You can buy Conscious Apothecary’s blends at Lemon Gem or through their website. You can also find it on the menu at a bunch of different St. Louis restaurants and wellness centers. I’d recommend giving it a try!

Here’s a song that reminds me of Conscious Apothecary’s tea. It’s very soothing.