All Over Albany

Tea from The Good Leaf

Day 2 of the AOA's holiday gift guide...

What?

The Smart Tea Maker Starter Set at The Good Leaf Gourmet Tea Company on Lark Street. It includes three sample tins of tea and brewing instructions. Choose from Earl Grey de la Crème, Moroccan Mint, and Bollywood Brew Chai; or Rise, Tropical Fantasy, and Chamomile Sonata; or Vanilla-infused Rooibos, Very Strawberry, and Lemon Drop.

Just place the tea maker over your own mug. Add your loose tea and then fill with hot water. After the tea has steeped, simply release it into your mug (the tea leaves are filtered out).

Who is it for?

We all know that one person who doesn't drink coffee, ever. Now, after years of listening to you talk about your half-caf nonfat latte, she can go beyond the old Tetley tea bag and start to confuse you with flavored and scented black teas, tisanes, oolongs, and Yerba maté. Ah, revenge is a beverage best brewed hot.

Where can you get it?

The Good Leaf on Lark Street in Albany. Visit or stop by and enjoy the sniffing bar (seriously, you can smell-test just about every kind of tea before you buy it, from Chocolate Chai to Iron Goddess of Mercy and Sweetheart Red) or get a cup or small pot to enjoy in the cozy, soothing space.

How much?

The whole kit will set you back $32, but it's a complete gift, ready for giving and enjoying.

If not this, then...

Favorite flavor tea gift sets -- for $12 you can get two tins, a tong tea ball, and brewing instructions. You can also make up your own gift sets. Buy two sample or regular size tins of tea and you can jazz it up with a pretty organza gift bag for only 50 cents more.

You can also buy small and large tins of any tea on The Good Leaf's list, as well as bags of tea. Prices vary from your standard orange pekoe ($2 for a small tin (0.5 oz/yields 6 or 7 cups) to $5 for the same size Golden Monkey, or $6 and $25 for bags of the same, respectively.

Other items on this year's gift guide:
+ The Peppermint Pig