The Bolder Life: 13th Annual Rocky Mountain Tea Festival

Shortly after The Bolder Life was born last summer, I got an email from the editor of Yellow Scene asking if I wanted to go to the Rocky Mountain Tea Festival at the Dushanbe Teahouse in Boulder.

“I can get you a media pass, if you’re up for it,” she said.

Although she had me a “media pass” (media passes are always just really fun things to have), I was so intrigued by the fact that I’d been living in Boulder for the past seven years and had never heard of anything like the Tea Festival, that I would have gone anyway.

I was in. My name was added to a list somewhere and I showed up on a bright summer day and took my seat in on the beautiful south patio seated just above a peaceful babbling creek in the heart of downtown Boulder’s bustling Farmers’ Market. The beyond-stunning hand-crafted Teahouse offered cool relief from the hot summer sun and I was quickly served a refreshing cup of tea as I waited for the first in a series of tea-tastic events to start.

Last year, my favorite event at the Rocky Mountain Tea Festival had to be the class hosted by Boulder herbalist, Brigitte Mars. Brigitte not only taught me which types of herbal teas offer the most benefits, but I also learned that if you’re living on a commune and your husband gets bit by a venomous snake, it’s totally cool to break out the vacuum cleaner and use it to suck the venom out. The more you know, right? It was an incredibly interesting session, to say the least, and full of samples of tasty teas.

This year marks the 13th year of the Rocky Mountain Tea Festival, and I’m most excited about the Tea and Cocktails class taught by Teahouse General Manager and exceptional cocktail-crafter, Kassi Tenborg. Kassi is mixing up a selection of tea-infused cocktails that pair perfectly with a warm summer afternoon and the serene décor of the Teahouse. Her Boulder Tangerine Bourbon Sour is kind of to-die-for, and she’s not only ready to show you how to make it during her four o’clock class on Saturday, but she’s also been generous enough to share the recipe!

Other popular classes include Cooking with Tea with Lenny Martinelli—the very passionate and energetic owner of the Dushanbe Teahouse and the rest of the Three Leaf Concepts restaurants.

And if you have a little princess (or prince) at home, be sure to take them to the Mommy and Me Princess Tea Party on Sunday, July 29th. Get your adorable on by dressing up in your Sunday best and enjoying a tea party fit for a princess complete with mini scones, cucumber sandwiches, and of course—tea. Reservations are required be sure to RSVP today!

Click here for a complete schedule and more information on the Rocky Mountain Tea Festival.

Boulder Tangerine Bourbon Sour
1 ½ oz Maker’s Mark Bourbon
1 oz Sour Mix
1 oz Boulder Tangerine Syrup
Rocks Glass
Add ice to rocks glass and add bourbon, sour mix and Boulder Tangerine Simple Syrup. Shake. Pour into rocks glass. Garnish with cherry and orange.