It may have taken awhile to open, but it is so worth the wait!  Mountain Sage in downtown Groveland has added another element to their nursery and gallery setting: an indoor/outdoor coffeehouse, complete with a full range of herbal and traditional teas, chai, mate' drinks as well as coffee and espresso spirits. Our staff is trained to make just the perfect latte to your liking!  Sit with your friends outside in the garden, pick up a book and lie in the hammocks, hang out on the covered porch and watch the world go by, or relax on the cool back deck overlooking the butterflies working the lavender garden. There is no time limit for enjoying yourself. Bring friends or meetings over to the garden coffeehouse!

We looked long and hard to find the perfect coffee roaster and tea importer to be represented at our business. After an extensive (and fun!) taste testing, we found a jewel in the coffee world. Alta Organic Coffee Roasting and Tea Company, based in Davenport, California, is an organic, Fair Trade, small roaster with coffee beans reminiscent of Peet’s Coffee and teas that exceed any others on the market. And talk about fresh! -- the beans are roasted and sent to us the same day. We chose to “go organic” last March when we found that coffee is one of the most heavily sprayed crops in the world, with lasting pesticides that stay in the roasted bean. Lastly, the Fair Trade element of the coffee is near to our hearts, as Mountain Sage has been committed to this philosophy since opening in 2002. Fair Trade certifies that the local artisans or farmers receive a fair wage and good working conditions. Why not help to support these local farmers in an ethical manner; after all, they provide us with some of the best coffee in the world and they have families too.

Mountain Sage is committed to being open for your early morning cup of coffee year round. Come enjoy yourself at Mountain Sage’s new coffeehouse and watch our business and garden grow!

Teas, Coffee and the wonders of their origins….

At Mountain Sage we are proud to bring you the freshest and yummiest organic and Fair Trade teas and coffees…What exactly does that mean?

Organically farmed teas and coffees are grown without chemicals and pesticides, working to ensure the Earth’s sustainability and to protect the health of the farmworkers and the comsumer. The aim of this eco-friendly farming is to eliminate synthetic agricultural by-products from farming. Agriculture that encourages ecosystem management enables the farming community to maintain personal control over their crops, and the land itself. This way the profits go into the right hands. This farming promotes biodiversity and biological activity that actually improves the quality of the soil, rather than damaging it.

Drinking organic tea and coffee is drinking with a conscience.

Fair Trade vendors belong to the Fair Trade Federation, and are committed to working in fair partnership with the producers in other countries.The guidelines that they adhere to state:

*   Employees are paid a fair wage

*   With healthy and safe work environments

*   They are given opportunities for advancement

*   Equal employment opportunities for disadvantaged people

*   They engage in environmentally sustainable practices

*   Long-term trade relationships are built

Wash all that information down with a good drink…

Alta Organic, in Davenport, supplies all our teas and coffees, delivered to us the day the coffee beans are roasted. The coffee beans are imported from all over the globe: Brazil , New Guinea , Mexico , Nicaragua , Timor , Ethiopia and more. Each country harvests beans with different flavors and qualities, dependent on such factors as the weather and soil conditions.

Teas not only taste fantastic, but are also a wonderful source of antioxidants. Green tea’s health properties have been well publicized, but less well known is another tea available at Mountain Sage, the Rooibos tea, meaning "red" bush. This wild shrub grows in South Africa and is naturally tannin- and caffeine-free. What makes this tea so special is that it contains fifty times more antioxidants than does green tea. It is also rich in flavonoids, known for treating skin and circulatory disorders.

Another tea worth trying next time you visit Mountain Sage is an authentic Chai spiced tea. Unlike the pre-mixed Chai, this is a loose tea, made from spices, herbs and black tea: ten ingredients in total make this Indian-style tea. Chai actually translates as ‘tea’ in many eastern languages. Even the traditional loose tea is prepared as a latte, but with no sugar and a lot more flavor. So come in and try the real deal, not from a box!

A tea receiving some good hype at the moment is Yerba Mate. This is a South American holly tree. Jesuit missionaries first farmed the tree in the 16^th century, for the tea to later become the signature beverage of the gaucho cowboys of the Argentine pampas. In today’s farming, the leaves are hot-air dried, and then, like a good wine, allowed to age for twelve months. The tea is a natural stimulant, and, as expected, full of antioxidants. All the vitamins, minerals and amino acids it contains help with weight loss, mood elevation and nutritional balance, and boost the immune system too. All around it’s an amazing tea.

These are just a few of the teas and coffees we brew up at Mountain Sage. Drop in and try some for yourself, or buy some in bulk and bring it home for the whole family.

Here at Mountain Sage, we’re happy to broaden the horizon for your lucky taste buds!