Sweet Leaf Tea is Ballin’
By Marketing Intern on Jul 16 Filed In Austin, Texas, Food & Beverage, Intern 4 Comments
One of the perks of working at a cool Austin company is discovering other cool Austin companies. This happened today when we took a trip to Baltimore Ballers, a brand new snowball stand located at East 6th Street and Waller Street. Baltimore Ballers not only makes delicious snowballs; they use Sweet Leaf Tea. That’s right. In addition to all of the delicious snowball syrups that the owners make themselves, they use our very own tea for some serious slushy action.
When we visited the trailer today, we met with Drew Schlegel, one of the owners who is originally from Baltimore (hence the name). In addition to the Sweet Leaf, Drew let us try a special snowball flavor originating from Baltimore–egg cream with marshmallow topping. Whatever your first reaction to this is, don’t knock it til you try it. It’s seriously delicious and crazy refreshing on a hot Austin day.
Sweet Leaf Kamie and Drew
So if you’re near Austin and want something to cool you down, meet Drew and buy a snowball. Not only is it delicious; it’s also very sustainable with all natural syrups and compostable cups and spoons. So what are you waiting for?
Check out Sweet Leaf TV soon for our video at Baltimore Ballers. It might just be the “coolest” thing you do all day.
Gigi’s Sweet Beat and Eats!
By Gigi on Jul 14 Filed In Austin, Texas, Celebrities, Chicago, Food & Beverage, Live Music, Lollapalooza, Uncategorized 3 Comments
Sweet Beats
The drama of life circa 1995. We (my husband and I) only had 3 young boys at the time and finally made it back to the Motherland - South Austin, 78748. I had just discovered Erykah Badu or Miss Badu as I like to call her. Her song “Tyrone” became my theme song that summer. You see, I had become accustom to my small little family, relaxing at home watching the fireflies in the backyard. As the news of our return spread throughout the zip code, the hordes of family and friends began to descend upon us. To quote the song – Jim, James, Paul and Tyrone became regular additions to our household. I just wanted it to be like it used to be. No extras, no moochers, NO MORE.
One lovely spring day and one too many of my man’s friends at the house, my exotic blood reached the boiling point and my combination of Spanglish I told him to call Tyrone. It was time for him to go – Ms. Gigi was THRU! and NO you can’t use my phone! Needless to say, I love him to much to put him out on the street, so I let him keep his $*%! and we keep going “On and On”.
Sweet Eats
My first visit to Chi-town was in 2000 with my husband. Yes, the same guy. We had the opportunity to spend the whole summer there and fell in love with every part of the city, especially the food. I have some friends that suggested La Scarola on Grand Avenue. First, let me tell you that this place is a step back in time. The waitstaff out number the guests, which is maximum 50 people (elbow to elbow). It was intimate and divine. Start with the Bruschetta - fresh tomatoes and basil will awaken you taste buds. The entree must be the Bistecca alla Zorich - the combination of perfectly seared Filet Mignon with herbs and vegetables will send you into a state of euphoria. Lastly, you must have the Tiramisu. What Italian dinner would be complete without this lovely combination of cookies, coffee, aperitif and marscapone? UMMM…heaven! Don’t forget to make a reservation. See you there!
Also, follow me on twitter for Sweet Leaf updates! – @SweetLeafGigi
So I bought a Vespa!
By Danny on Jul 7 Filed In Austin, Texas, Sweet Bikes 6 Comments
I have recently purchased a new love of my life, aside from my cat – Bird. (and no, it’s not a mail order bride)
Check out my 1980 Vespa PX series.
Vespa Specs:
- [New]150cc — Enough Oomph to get you up a huge hill or to hit top speeds of up to 50mph (DANG SON, that’s FAST) {I know right?}
- Original Sidecart — extra space for a cooler, dog, friend, backpack, or (if filled with water) a HOT TUB!
- White wall tires — Got to keep things classy
- 4 speed manual clutch on the handle
- Spacious seat — Great for an extra passenger or to ride with your stomach like superman
- 1.2 gallon gas tank — that takes you 100 miles per gallon
It is so much fun to cruise in. I have recently taken off the sidecart to improve my gas mileage and for ease of riding, but it runs like a champ. New engine, tires, cables, brakes — it’s totally refurbished! So if you see me on the street throw me a wave, but be careful, I might think you wanna race.
Sweetest 4th of July Part 1: Fireworks!!!
By Marketing Intern on Jun 28 Filed In Activities, Austin, Texas, Events, Uncategorized 6 Comments
Photo courtesy of www.hollis.nh.us
As the 4th of July approaches, I get more and more excited as it is the one day a year that it is perfectly acceptable to play with fire and eat your body weight in barbecue. Here at Sweet Leaf, we know that you can’t very well do one without the other and expect to have the greatest 4th of July EVER! So, Sweet Leaf Harrison and myself have found the sweetest spots around the country to celebrate our nations independence and found some great barbecue recipes and party ideas that will take your 4th of July to the next level! So, we’ll get started with a bang as we countdown the sweetest places in the country to play with fire.
At number three, we’ve got the Queen Mary July 4th Celebration & Fireworks Show in Long Beach, CA where party goers can dance the night away in the nightclubs that are throughout the ship with DJ’s and live performances. If you’re celebrating this spectacular holiday accordingly, feel confident and free to unleash your musical talents at the karaoke bar. And those feelin’ really classy this 4th of July can purchase the Queen Mary VIP pass, which includes a 4-level pool party with a VIP daybed lounge, open bar and a dinner buffet. Oh! I almost forgot to mention…it’s the best view of one of the largest fireworks shows in all of California!
At number two, we’ve got the 37th annual Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, which takes place in (you guessed it) Boston, MA, right over the Charles River to be exact! This year’s show will feature awesome fireworks, church bells and howitzer cannons, plus musical performances by the Boston Pops Orchestra & country music artist Toby Keith.
And finally at number one, we’ve got the one and only Macy’s Fireworks Show that takes place over the Hudson River in New York City. This fireworks show features more than 40,000 shells that explode at a rate of 1,500 shells per minute (That’s an InSaNe amount of fireworks!!!) Not only that, but the sparks reach to 1,000 feet in the air making this show visible for miles! The greatest part of this show (which is its trademark) is its “Golden Mile”, which is a shower of golden sparks that stretch for a mile across the river! As if that weren’t awesome enough, but this year’s show will have an extra mile of sparks that will shower down in shades of green and red! Ahhh America!
These are just a few of the best shows around the country, and if you’re here hangin’ out in Sweet Leaf country definitely check out the largest fireworks show in Austin–the H-E-B Austin Symphony 4th of July Concert & Fireworks show over Lady Bird Lake!
What’s your favorite place to watch fireworks?
Sweet Love
By Guest on Jun 28 Filed In Austin, Texas, Events, Sweet Consumers 2 Comments
Anyone who knows me, knows that the way to my heart is simple: a bottle of Sweet Leaf Mint & Honey Green tea. You’d be hard-pressed to find me at a rehearsal for a play without one. So it stands to reason that the way to my heart was also one way to my fiancé Dave’s heart at the beginning of our relationship.
Dave and I first met during rehearsals for The Laramie Project at The City Theatre almost two years ago (and, yes, Sweet Leaf was present). We became friends during the run and then, owing much to chance, we were cast together in a new show just as Laramie was ending. We started hanging out at local coffee shops, studying lines for The New Jersey Book of the Dead, which was to be staged at The Hyde Park Theatre. During this time, as you can predict from the headline of this posting and his current moniker of fiancé, Dave moved from being my good friend to my leading man.
Photographer, Will Hollis Snider
At the end of the run of Jersey, I assembled my collection of empty Sweet Leaf bottles from rehearsals (some of which Dave had purchased for me); and, with a hot glue gun in one hand and a strand of sequined trim in the other, I embarked on a new craft project for my fellow cast members that would end up showing Dave just how much I cared for him. I attached the trim to the glass, tied on coordinating tags (Dave’s tag served as his first love note from me), gathered some Texas wildflowers and—voila!—vases. Then the debate: do guys—especially ones as macho as Dave—really want flower vases from tea bottles that have beads and sequins on them? The only answer I can give is that apparently my guy does. I mean, come on…it’s Sweet Leaf! A year later, I stumbled across the bottle, which Dave tucked away in a drawer full of mementos from our relationship.
So, now we’re planning our wedding and reception, and we’ve decided on a picnic theme, which captures our love of fun, outdoor get-togethers. Budget and beauty are big considerations. Well, several weeks ago, Dave and I were sitting in Café Mundi—at a read-thru for another show, Rabbit Hole—when I discovered a wedding planning solution in my hand. Sweet Leaf Blueberry Lemonade in a mason jar. How cute and perfect is that? Tie on a fun, printed ribbon, place a votive candle inside, and they’ll be beautiful, whimsical candles at our picnic that pay tribute to how our story began—a wonderful reminder of just how sweet life can be!
Photographer, Will Hollis Snider
Rachel McGinnis Meissner is a freelance writer/illustrator/actor in Austin. Befriend her and Sweet Leaf on Facebook.com.
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