A visit to Boulder would be incomplete without taking the time to go to Celestial Seasonings. This iconic Boulder destination is a must for anyone who likes tea. It is tucked inside a residential area, just a few minutes’ drive from downtown and Pearl Street. You can try over a hundred different varieties of tea and tisanes. The most famous of which is, of course, Sleepytime. While drinking your tea, you can walk around their art gallery viewing paintings that were at one time featured on different boxes. You might even catch a glimpse of the original giant Sleepytime bear.
Plan to take a tour of the factory. During Covid, they shut both the tour and teashop down to the public. I am incredibly grateful they brought them back. Celestial Seasonings is one of the few tours in the United States where you’re on a working factory floor. You cannot say the same of Hershey’s, Ben and Jerry’s, or even the nearby Coors Beer Company. The tour invigorates the senses. As you walk through the factory door, you can immediately smell hints of chamomile, lemongrass, ginger, and whatever natural ingredient they might be milling at the time. You can even catch a brief smell of tea as you go by the designated storage area for their true teas. Traditional tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant. It is very absorbent, so if it was kept in the general area, it would taste like the ingredient it was sitting next to. While they produce some traditional teas, over ninety percent of Celestial Seasonings products are actually tisanes or herbal infusions. I am sad to say that, like the true tea room, you can also no longer go into the famous peppermint room. However, for all you peppermint addicts, you can still obtain the same overwhelming smell and teary-eyed effect by standing next to the door as they open it.
When you step out into the factory, you can see a giant mural of the Sleepytime bear. He dozes while overseeing production. The factory floor is noisy but neat to see. The entire process starts on the second floor, where a freshly mixed bin starts to dump the tea down to be sandwiched between two layers of their compostable teabag netting. They are then sealed to create a bag so no tea can leak out, cut to size, and placed inside the carton lined with wax paper, which is folded to keep the tea inside the box fresh. The boxes are then put into cases and stacked on a pallet for shipping to your local market. Start to finish, the entire process takes under two minutes.
The tour ends in the teashop/gift shop. I have never been on a tour that didn’t end either in or near a gift shop. Their many assorted flavors are displayed on the tea wall. They even have one called Fast Lane, which is only available in their shop or online. You can also find their famous holiday flavors there all year long, along with their special cold brew teas, for which no hot water is required. If you don’t have a favorite or are still unsure of which blend you would like best, you can always head back over to the tour and tasting center. With so many varieties, I think the hardest part is choosing. I know when I go, I have to bring a bigger suitcase or find the nearest UPS or FedEx store to ship my teas home. They also have a website where you can order all of their teas, including limited edition items, which I am grateful for because my local supermarket only carries six.
My Personal Celestial Seasonings Recommendations:
Morning Thunder—A flavor that combines energizing mate with black tea. It is great for that morning pick me up and has a nice earthy flavor.
Fast Lane—Who knew you could add caffeine to tea to make a natural tea energy drink? It even contains a little cola flavoring. Unlike other energy drinks, you don’t get that crash because it doesn’t have lots of added sugar and it contains vitamins and herbs to level you off.
Sleepytime Peach—While I do enjoy the original Sleepytime tea, my favorite is the peach. I hate fake flavors in pretty much anything I eat or drink. This tea has natural flavors and dried peaches, which makes for a sweet refreshing treat right before bed.
Immune Support—This is one of my favorite green teas. It has a pleasant citrus taste and is not bitter. They add white tea to help tone the bitterness of the green. The remarkable thing about this blend of green tea is it helps improve your immune system with every cup.
Mandarin Orange Spice—I love tea with a little bit of mystery to it. This tea is more than orange and cinnamon. The touch of clove really invigorates the palate. It is perfect on a rainy day while reading a good book.
Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride—My favorite holiday tea. It is also the only tea that they recommend having with a splash of milk. If you close your eyes, it’s like drinking a cookie. It’s a great sweet treat when you want a guilty pleasure without the guilt.
Tea,Travel & Spirits 