Update: In 2024, the business rebranded (same ownership) as Tea Rabbit’s Teas & Magickal Makings
As a firm believer in the Law of Attraction, I often say there are no coincidences. So naturally, on our visit to Dahlonega, Georgia to check out the new afternoon tea service at Taste (review out next week), we just happened to park across the street from My Vintage Gypsy Teas & Magical Makings, right off the historic square. For those who might chalk it up to luck, you’re about to see how lucky we were!
This post is just a glimpse of all the magical two-year-old tea shop has to offer, from an array of wonderful gifts and treats, to engaging and knowledgeable staff who prepare hot drinks at the front counter and kindly assist us as we explore the shop. Along our shopping route, we met friends of owner Kim Pyron, some of whom give her credit for converting them to tea drinkers. A retired nurse, Kim emphasizes how teas can support wellness and uses all natural ingredients in her blends, which are also available in My Vintage Gypsy Teas’ online store.
When you sit down to make a cup of tea, your blood pressure will reduce because you’ve slowed down and become mindful of that moment,” she said. “The process of making the tea itself, it puts you in a space of calm automatically. It allows you to slow down. How many times are we running around in the day: ‘I need a coffee, I’m just going to drive through Starbucks,’ you don’t even slow down. They’re going to hand it through the window to us. We’re going to go to Chick-fil-a and get that iced tea. What if I had to boil a cup of water, sit down, wait five minutes for it to steep and be there, be present. It’s so much more calming just in doing that. It’s just sitting down and enjoying that moment and what’s there in it.”
– Owner Kim Pyron, The Dahlonega Nugget article
This tea shop will delight your imaginative spirit and possibly expand your horizons. In the above picture, you see smudge sticks for sale (burning sage is a Native American ritual with health benefits).
Homemade teacup candles make for festive holiday gifts for your tea loving friends, $19.99 each. The cabinet in the background displays aromatherapy shower steamers. Leather journals with ornate clasps and tarot card decks and guides are for sale as well. Before checking out we pay $1 to pick a card from a mix-n-match collection of tarot cards, for a wee bit of on-the-spot inner wisdom.
My Vintage Gypsy Teas’ Apothecary Teas are sold in these pretty, well-sealed vintage glass jars, that are refillable for half price and free shipping! Sniff jars for all the blends will help you choose your favorite tea. As rose is one of my favorite flavored teas, I took home the Vintage Gypsy, a blend of black tea, red rose petals, rose flowers and “a sprinkle of magick.” Though we’ve already released our 2021 Holiday Gift Guide, this is another perfect gift idea for your tea loving friends.
I pulled out my recently acquired Grace China Dahlia teapot to serve this floral tea, which I appreciated for its soft rose flavor, while other rose teas can have a slightly bitter, almost cloying taste. I certainly plan to try out My Vintage Gypsy Tea’s recipe for Black Rose Sparkling Tea too – yum!
We love the creative nomenclature at My Vintage Gypsy Teas, where several of their blends are designed and named for local businesses, like “I’ll Have What She’s Having,” a dark chocolate truffle black tea blend inspired by The Fudge Factory, a Dahlonega fixture since 1982. Warning: one might begin to feel a bit greedy surveying all these pouches of fun tea blends.
As this is hot chocolate season, the ladies behind the counter at My Vintage Gypsy Teas say these handmade marshallows sell out almost as soon as they come into the shop. The housemade hot chocolate mix here has a reputation for being amazing, and also comes in a spicy version. Looking forward to trying them out!
You don’t have to be in the Dahlonega area to enjoy all these treats. Go shopping at https://www.myvintagegypsyteas.com/ and while you’re there, check out their “Tea of the Month” subscription, $14.99 with free shipping for a 1 oz. tea that comes with a unique ritual and custom recipe.
We were so thankful to have wandered into this tea emporium, which we agreed was the perfect start and definitely a highlight of our Dahlonega trip. Go check it out if you’re in the area, and happy tea travels.
