My grandfather, John Harney, was on a mission to make tea an everyday luxury.
That mission started small. When Harney & Sons began in 1983, we offered just six teas, but my grandfather made sure that each of those six teas was something special.
For an audience whose only previous experience with tea had been store-bought tea bags, the elevated tea that Papa John imported, blended, and championed was a revelation that introduced them to new heights of aroma, body, and complexity.
My grandfather shared his love of fine tea wherever he could. He traveled the country to demonstrate proper tea-making methods (always emphasizing the importance of correct water temperature and steeping time), and successfully placed our teas in luxury hotels, including the Waldorf-Astoria and Ritz-Carlton in New York and the Dorchester in London. With every new cup, he won more converts.
Today, our company has grown far beyond those original six teas. But our purpose remains much the same as my grandfather John’s. We’re still searching for fine teas to share with you, because we know a great cup can make an ordinary day feel a little more special.
The Everyday Luxury of Tea
The word “luxury” is often used to describe items that are expensive, rare, or reserved for special occasions. But I think the term can apply to simpler joys as well.
Like, say, a few quiet minutes spent with a cup of your favorite tea.
There’s a comfort to measuring out the leaves, heating and bringing the water to the right temperature, filling your cup, patiently waiting for it to steep, and then taking that first sip. It’s the kind of pleasure that doesn’t require a special moment but creates one, at any hour of the day.
Tea in the Morning: A Steady Start to Your Day
Call me biased, but I can’t think of a nicer way to start your day than with a thoughtfully brewed cup of tea. Whether you’re easing into a quiet morning or steeling yourself for a busy one, tea offers you a quiet moment of preparation.
Our Khongea Broken Assam is a bold, brisk black tea with an aroma and flavor like malted grains. Sourced from the south side of India’s Brahmaputra River, it’s ideal for starting mornings off right.
If you want to add a little spice to your day, our strong-bodied black Chai leads with cardamom and cinnamon, plus nutmeg, clove, and a sweet vanilla finish.
A blend of Darjeeling, Ceylon, and Assam, East Frisian is one of the most full-bodied teas we offer. Frequently complemented by cream and crystallized rock sugar, it’s named in honor of East Frisia, a spot on Germany’s North Sea coast where the locals consume more black tea than anyone else in the world.
Once the British developed a taste for them, Keemuns like Hao Ya ‘B’ became some of China’s most renowned black teas. Sourced from the rolling hills of southeastern Anhui Province, this brew is made in late spring and offers dark cocoa flavors.
Mind you, not every morning cup has to be black. Our Japanese Sencha is a classic steamed green tea from the Shizuoka province of Japan. With a fresh, spring grass flavor with light notes of citrus and toasted bread, this tea is forgiving enough to drink from morning to afternoon.
Our Organic Ceremonial Grade Matcha also makes a fine morning companion. Certified organic by the USDA and made from leaves harvested near Kagoshima, Japan, this matcha offers casaba melon sweetness over light notes of spring lettuce, all with a gentle, mouth-filling umami.
The Afternoon Cup: A Boost When It’s Needed
By the time 3 PM rolls around, even the perkiest of us can start to fade a little bit. That’s tea’s time to shine.
A cup in the afternoon gives you a welcome break from your screen, your to-do list, or whatever else is filling your day. Not to mention a well-needed boost.
Any afternoon could be improved by our Darjeeling tea, a blend of 1st flush and autumnal teas grown high in the misty Himalayan mountains. Its light golden liquor offers the bright aromas of pineapple and grapefruit, and its flavor mixes citrus notes with darker hints of stone apricots and plums.
Dragon Pearl Jasmine is a green tea with a strand of white tea, hand-rolled into pearls and scented with real jasmine blossoms. As the tea steeps, the pearls unfurl, yielding a floral cup that’s sweet, light, and smooth.
Love hazelnut? Florence is our deliciously decadent chocolate hazelnut tea, built on a Chinese black tea base. More than one of our customers recommends adding a bit of milk to create a Nutella-like taste.
Considered one of the world’s finest oolong teas, Li Shan is grown high in the mountains of Taiwan, where they brave cold, snow, and frequent mists. These conditions create a rare, delightful brew, with a sweet floral aroma and a creamy flavor with notes of lemons and pears.
In China, white teas have long been prized for their gentle character and minimal processing. Our Mutan White is a light-bodied tea with a medium caffeine level, offering a fresh aroma and mellow vegetal flavors with a touch of sweetness.
Our Very Berry Matcha is an eye-opening twist on matcha that combines leaves of bancha green tea with the flavors of strawberry and raspberry and tangy dried goji berries covered in matcha. Packed with antioxidants and sweet, fruity aromas,
Evening Brews: For Whatever Lies Ahead
Maybe you’re looking for something to relax your mind and body as the sun sets. Or perhaps your night is just getting started? Whatever your evening has in store, we’ve got a tea to prepare you for it.
If the sun’s gone down, but you need to stay up, our Allnighter Yerba Mate Licorice should do the trick. Created by my dad, Mike Harney, this brew adds a touch of liquorice to a blend of two highly caffeinated herbals: Yerba Mate and Guayusa. The result is a bracing cup that offers a taste like roasted parsnips and steamed zucchini (and more caffeine than a cup of black tea).
Still offering medium levels of caffeine, Victorian London Fog was the first winning recipe from our customer creation contest. It’s a full-bodied black tea scented with citrusy bergamot, sweet vanilla, and a gentle touch of lavender.
Hojicha is an unusual tea made from roasted tea stalks and twigs instead of leaves. Offering low levels of caffeine, Hojicha has a taste not unlike that of coffee, with notes of sweet caramel.
If all you want to do is grab some much-needed rest, our Blood Orange Fruit Tea is ready to assist. This brilliant caffeine-free blend of dried fruit delivers the sweet notes of blood oranges in a striking, russet-colored cup.
A caffeine-free herbal infusion with the delightful essence of cinnamon and plums (as well as finely cut hibiscus), Spiced Plum Herbal is a surprisingly hearty brew (but one that won’t keep you awake when it’s time to relax).
Tilleul, from Provence, France, is a light and lively blend of the linden tree’s fragrant flowers and leaves. Naturally caffeine-free, this herbal is prized for its elegant, chamomile-like qualities, as well as its mild digestive and sleep benefits.
Fill Your Cup (the Literal One, and the Metaphorical One)
More than 40 years after my grandfather set out to make tea an everyday luxury, that idea is still at the heart of what we do, as we offer more than 300 different teas to start your morning, add energy to your afternoon, or complement your evening plans.
A small luxury? Perhaps. But sometimes, it’s the smallest indulgences that make the biggest difference in our days.
