Petals & Prosecco: Cherry Blossom Tea Party

April 13th marks the last day of the Cherry Blossom Festival. I invite Connoisseurs to celebrate this seasonal occasion with Petals and Prosecco: Cherry Blossom Tea Party.

After years of serving Georgetown, Washington, DC, Lady Camellia Pastry & Tea Room is now set in Old Town, overlooking the Alexandria Waterfront.

The Full Tea menu includes the following, along with Brut Rosé:

2 tea sandwiches of choice

2 choices of scones and/or croissants

4 pastries of choice

1 choice of tea

Scones: Plain, White Chocolate Cranberry, Funfetti Croissants: Plain, Apple, Pain Au Chocolat

Tea Sandwiches: Cucumber, Egg Salad, Smoked Salmon*, Chicken Salad, Brie & Apple

Entrée: Souffé: Spinach Mushroom, Beef Bourguignon

English Pies: Beef Bourguignon, Chicken & Leek, Wild Mushroom

Pastries: Teacakes. red velvet, chocolate ganache Tartlets: strawberry, pecan, lemon blueberry, lemon meringue Pannacotta: passion fruit, berry, Chocolate pots de crème

Crème brûlée: vanilla, cookies & cream, pumpkin Macarons: pumpkin, milk chocolate, lemon, chocolate hazelnut, pistachio, vanilla bean, coconut, red velvet, fleur de sel caramel, pink champagne, lavender, raspberry, rose, bitter chocolate, milk chocolate passionfruit, cookies & cream

The dress code: As feminine and dainty as you’d like to arrive🫖☕️

The setting: Overlooking the waterfront

The lesson: Tea aroma is a complex of various odors such as woody, floral, burnt, green, fruity, and fatty. There are multiple ways to process tea. We’re observing the similarities to the wine making process which give us the aromas of tea.

Maceration: Known in the Western tea industry as "disruption" or "leaf maceration", the teas are bruised or torn in order to promote and quicken oxidation. The leaves may be lightly bruised on their edges by shaking and tossing in a bamboo tray or tumbling in baskets.

Oxidation / Fermentation: For teas that require oxidation, the leaves are left on their own in a climate-controlled room where they turn progressively darker. This is accompanied by agitation in some cases which releases tannins. (There is a misuse of the term fermentation; in reality only pu-erh uses the fermentation process; where compressed tea is sprayed with water and covered up. Aging, heat and humidity will encourage micro-organisms and bacteria to develop a woody, less astringent tea).

Excited to see you there!

Host or Publisher Connoisseurs Club