A Special Halloween Edition
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In This Issue: Witness the conjuring of Ruby Lion Inc. - a promising new tea company! pg. 8 Special guest interview with Dark Fiction Novelist Richard Chiantaretto - pg. 22 Enter to win FREE tea! Tasseography contest on pg. 21 5 spooky coloring pages inside! A Special Halloween Edition 1 2 Something about Fall awakens the witch in all of us... As the leaves turn and the harvest begins, nature itself takes hold of us in a wild celebration of earth’s bounty. Tea fits remarkably well in this changing of seasons. The magic of brewing the perfect pot of tea on a crisp autumn morn- ing casts its own little spell of well being, contentment, and inspires thoughts of gratitude for what we have. My special thanks go out to Leonard Nima of Red Lion Inc., Rick Chiantar- etto, my friend and author, and Jamah Dacus of BlendBee for their contribu- tions to our Halloween publication. I dedicate this spirited issue to all who embrace the nature worshipper and spell caster in themselves; to those who are willing to put forth the energy and intent to get what they desire. For what would life be without a touch of magic...And tea? Warmest regards, Ashley Byrd Editor, Cordially Invited Magazine 3 Contents Something wicked Exclusive interview this way comes!unity with Dark Fiction for growth and innovation. 9 “My love of Tea has always been there, author, Richard fLetter from the Editor pg. 3 Chiantaretto pg.22 m when my parents would blend Dar- jInterview with Sipper’s Leonard Nima, Sipher founder of Ruby Lion Inc. pg. 8 pg.32 Bee-witching blends Caption this by BlendBee pg. 14bblends! 11 pg. 33 it a name. 14 Tasseography Plus 5 creepy Contest pg.26 coloring pages! 4 5 Each heart has its haunted chamber, Where the silent moonlight falls! On the floor are mysterious footsteps, There are whispers along the walls! ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Haunted Chamber 6 7 From the CoverEntrepreneur Leonard Nima is making some magic of his own as the sole proprietor of Ruby Lion Tea Company! Today, the magician shares his secrets about his journey to purveying fine teas and becoming a small business owner. 8 “I wish to see a world where my efforts will allow easy entry into the world of Tea for our future generations, and for everyone to enjoy higher quality tea at all times. In short, to single-handedly raise the entire standard of tea in America from bagged dust to fresh leaf.” Leonard (Leo) Nima’s Los Ange- I could do to help the industry became les based tea company, Ruby Lion, is a incredibly clear, and having a family prime example of what the tea industry history of starting their own businesses, in the USA looks like right now; young, I too undertook the task, and thus Ruby exploratory, full of vision, with plenty of Lion was born.” opportunity for growth and innovation. The vision came into sudden clear focus “My love of Tea has always been there, as the plan for growth developed. Ruby from when my parents would blend Lion was incorporated in June of 2016 Darjeeling, Ceylon and Earl Grey to- and is currently preparing to launch a gether as our daily drink from as long web-store before the end of this year at as I can remember. I always had it with RubyLioninc.com. milk and sugar, so I never actually un- derstood the finer points of Tea until “During my visit to WTE, I realized that earlier this year. The 9 to 5 life was kill- Tea is young in America, and there’s ing me, so I set out on a quest to learn plenty of room to try grand and differ- more. In attending the World Tea Expo ent things with the drink. That, and a 2016 (held in Las Vegas), I found out huge division between average Jill and the nature of the industry in ways I Joe drinkers, and aficionados who get would have never imagined. The things certified and teach about Tea. I wish to 9 do something bold with Tea, then begin converting non-drinkers or coffee drinkers, and go further beyond that by inserting Tea culture as the next big thing in LA.” For now, the website is under construction, but offers an intriguing narrative to the journey that is entrepreneurship; complete with instagram and facebook resources. “It’s a one man show here. Though I’m al- ways open to the idea of building a killer team that can charge with me into the fray. And everything so far is being funded out- of-pocket as well.” Though Leo is enthusiastic about sharing his passion for tea through his new busi- ness, it has not been without its challeng- es. Coordinating product packaging while meeting FDA regulations alone is tough on any startup company. That investment of time and energy has been a deciding factor in the decision to provide tea products only, rather than including accessories (tea pots, infusers, etc.) like some other companies do. “The Tea comes first. Dividing my attention and brand image might hurt in the short run, and I wish to be known as a company that focuses on one thing, and does that one thing well!” True to Leo’s word, Ruby Lion does tea well! We sampled a Lavender-Chili Pepper blend that they look forward to launching on their 10 new web-store this year. Sultry spice and black tea combines with soothing laven- der for a brew that is absolutely perfect for warming up on a cold day. We advise drinkers to sip this seductive game-changer with care as the slow burn may overwhelm if drunk too fast. This is a feature we happen to love as we’ve nev- er had a tea that nearly forces you to slow down and pay attention! “I’m most excited about it because it causes some controversy and discussion around what Tea should be perceived as,” Leo said. With an eye towards the future of tea, not just in Los Angeles, but the USA at large, Leo has big dreams as his company goes forward. “I wish to see a world where my efforts will allow easy entry into the world of tea for our future generations, and for everyone to enjoy higher quality tea at all times. In short, to single-handedly raise the entire standard of tea in America from bagged dust to fresh leaf.” Visit RubyLioninc.com for exciting news and more information on Leo’s innovative tea blends! 11 The Hag is astride, This night for to ride; The Devill and shee together: Through thick, and through thin, Now out, and then in, Though ne’r so foule be the weather. ~ Robert Herrick, The Hag 12 “Needs more cinnamon.” image credit: British National Museum of Art 13 Bee-Witching Brews Dazzle your loved ones with a personalized tea blend for the Holidays! At risk of being burned at the tons of emails from people that have stake, yes, I said Holidays. Don’t fret. I’m severe allergies, or illnesses that can’t not ready to trade my broomstick in for have the majority of teas on the market, a Christmas tree just yet. I do, however, or need very specific ingredients. It can have an idea for a stress free (and envi- be life changing for them that they can ronmentally conscious) gift that every- make their own perfect blend. It isn’t just one on your list will love! for health purposes either, people create great personalized gifts, even hilariously BlendBee is a delightful little company named teas for gag gifts. We love it when that lets you customize your own tea people get creative!” creations from scratch! They take pride in their commitment to sustainability as The entire ordering experience is as fun well as pure ingredients hand selected by as it is easy. You start by visiting blend- the owner, Jamah Dacus, herself. bee.com where you will have the option to select your quantity after selecting the “The customization portion of my com- ‘make your own’ tab. From there, you are pany definitely makes us stand out,” said guided to pick a tea base plus up to eight Jamah. “It really is my favorite part of other ingredients (fruit, flowers, spices, the business, and I never want that as- etc). Once you’ve got an idea of what pect to change. I love that people can your tea will be made of, you get to give create their own perfect blends. I receive it a name. 14 “The sample sized bags are ideal for Winter. On my trail I have seen all sorts stocking stuffers. Also, if our customers of animals, even a brown bear shared the want the gift recipients name printed on trail with me the other day. Being sur- the label, they just need to let us know, rounded in nature daily reminds me of typically in the notes section of the order. what is important. Living clean, being We are happy to do this with our pre- cognizant of our carbon footprint and made blends, as all our teas are hand- how our actions directly affect our envi- crafted per order. Nothing just sits on a ronment.” shelf here at the Tea Hive.” Jamah’s dedication to the environment The “Tea Hive” is where all the magic shines through in BlendBee’s logo and happens in the picturesque surroundings her favorite pre-made tea blend Save the of the forest near Lake Tahoe.