Tea storage: Store teas out of light, heat, and air. To maximize freshness, store your teas in an air-tight container in a cool, dry place. If you are storing in a glass jar (with a sealed lid) make sure to store in a dark cupboard. Do not store teas in canisters that previously held something aromatic (i.e. coffee or spices) as the tea will absorb the smell.

Product freshness: All of our products are guaranteed for freshness. We import teas 6 times per year so the stock is always rotating. Flavored and blended teas are mostly made to order to ensure freshness (we only pre-make up blends and flavors that we will sell in a 2 week period i.e. Earl Grey, Chai, Lemon…). Our large stock of quality herbs and spices are rotated every 6-8 weeks. And our aromatic coffees are brought in fresh roasted every week.

Specialty Blends: We are asked quite a lot to make specialty tea, coffee and herb blends. If you are interested in having us formulate a blend for you please contact us via email or phone with the specific taste profile you are seeking.

Shipping times: We usually ship orders within 24 hours of receipt. Orders should be received as follows:
Residents in CT, NY, MA, NJ, RI – 1 working day after it is shipped from S&V
Residents in NH, DC, MD, PA, VT – 2 working days after it is shipped from S&V
Residents in NC, OH, VA,WV, AL, GA, KY, IL, IN, MI, SC, TN– 3 working days after it is shipped from S&V
Residents in WI, AR, FL, IA, KS, LA, MN, MO, MS, NE, ND, OK, SD, CO, TX, WY – UPS orders: 4 working days after it is shipped from S&V – Priority Mail orders: 3 working days after it is shipped from S&V
Residents in CA, AZ, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA – UPS orders: 5 working days after it is shipped from S&V – Priority Mail orders: 3 working days after it is shipped from S&V

How to Brew the perfect Cup of Tea:
Fill a kettle with fresh, cold water. Have enough for the amount being made as well as some extra to allow for evaporation and to pre-warm the teapot. You may also want to pre-warm the teacups.

Wait until the water is near boiling, then pour a little into the teapot and swirl it around. This warms the pot so that it is at an optimum temperature for holding the tea. Empty the pot (& cups).

For each cup of tea, place 1 rounded teaspoon of leaves into the warmed pot or in a teapot strainer/infuser.

Allow the water in the kettle to reach a brisk, rolling boil (for black teas). For green teas, heat the water to 175-185º . (Do not allow the water to boil, as this will produce a more bitter or astringent taste. The higher the grade of green tea the cooler the water temperature should be for steeping.)

Pour the water from the teakettle onto the leaves in the teapot.

Let the tea steep for 3-5 minutes for a black tea and 1 ½ to 3 minutes for a green tea (individual steeping times can be found on each tea’s product description page).

Strain the tea into cups. To keep the tea warm, cover with a cozy.

Green teas lend themselves to a second steeping which is about 1/3 the normal time, since the tealeaves have already absorbed a certain amount of water

How to make Iced Tea:
For our 1oz “TEXAS STYLE” Teabag:
Put teabag in a gallon container. Pour boiling water over teabag to cover. Let steep 5 minutes then remove teabag and add cold water to fill the container. Stir. Refrigerate or leave out.
Serve over ice with lemon wedges.

For Loose tea:
Put approximately ½ ounce (¼ cup) of tea in a large teaball into a ½ gallon container. Pour boiling water over teaball to cover. Let steep 5 minutes for black teas or 3 minutes for green teas then remove teaball and add cold water to fill. Stir and refrigerate.

Iced tea in the refrigerator may turn cloudy. Upon removal from the refrigerator, place a little boiling water in the container and stir. This should disperse the clouds.

POLICIES

Returns:
Simpson & Vail guarantees every product we sell. We provide courteous and prompt service, backed by our guarantee that if for any reason you are not satisfied with a purchase, you may simply return it for prompt credit, exchange or full refund within 1 month of your purchase. This was the creed of our founders and we are proud to carry on this tradition.

If you have any questions regarding your return, please email us at info@svtea.com or call our toll free number 1-800-282-8327 and one of our staff members will be happy to assist you.

Status of Order:
For inquiries about products or shipments, please click on the "Account Info" link or phone us at 800-282-8327 between 9:00am - 5:30pm (EST) Monday through Friday or between 10:00am - 4:00 pm Saturday (closed on Saturdays in July and August). You may also email us at info@svtea.com

Mailing Lists:
Rest assured, we never sell our mailing list of customer names, addresses, phone numbers or email lists. Ever!

Sales Tax:
Sales tax is collected on teaware items (all items with product codes starting with "A") with a shipping address in the State of Connecticut unless a reseller's tax id number is on file with us.

Payment Method:
We accept VISA, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover cards.

SHIPPING INFO

We ship 5 days a week, Monday through Friday. We normally ship orders within 24 hours of receipt.

**Orders shipped outside the US will be shipped via US Postal Mail (either Global Express, Priority Mail or First Class [packages under 4 lbs]). Additional shipping charges will apply. Simpson & Vail, Inc. is not responsible for and can offer no specific advice on import fees, duty, Customs or taxes that you may be charged when your merchandise reaches you and urges you to consult your local government import office with any questions.

**Orders to wholesale accounts will be shipped via UPS. Freight charges will be assessed prior to shipping. Please notify us if you would like a quote prior to our shipping your order. Otherwise, all orders will have the freight charges added to their merchandise price.

***All merchandise purchased through this site is F.O.B. Brookfield, CT. Title to the merchandise passes to you at the time of delivery by Simpson & Vail, Inc. to a common carrier, as well as responsibility for all shipping fees.

***Order Cancellations: You may cancel your order for any reason prior to shipment and receive a full refund. Should you desire to cancel an item, which has not been received, please call at: 800-282-8327. You will be advised if your merchandise has not been shipped and may therefore still be canceled. If the merchandise has already been shipped and a cancellation is allowed, it will be your responsibility to pay the complete shipping and handling charges. Special order merchandise is non-cancelable.