Interview with StageIt Artist Gayle Skidmore

 CB: Are you a coffee or tea kinda girl?

Gayle: Tea! When I lived in England I would drink like 5-8 cups of tea per day just to stay warm. I also worked in a Victorian tea house in LA for a year. My family even makes their own tea. I'm a big fan of companies that participate in Direct Trade and are conscientious about the products they offer.

CB: When did you first discover The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf?

Gayle: I discovered the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf when a friend whom I hadn't seen in years invited me out for tea to catch up. We talked for hours and hours and had some kind of cherry tea, which was amazing. The one closest to where I live has a really nice patio that gets all of the best sunny hours.

CB: What is your favorite drink?

Gayle: I'm pretty fickle about favorites because I like to try new things, but besides tea, I've always liked vanilla lattes.

CB: If you could create a new drink, what would the ultimate main ingredient be?

Gayle: Hmm... the ultimate ingredient... I feel like that's something I'd have to go on some kind of harrowing journey to find. I think some kind of rich chocolatey drink with cayenne pepper would be amazing.

CB: Create your best tagline using "Stageit" and "The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf".

Gayle: Stageit at the Coffee Bean-- Come drink brown, flavored water and fill your ear canals with sounds! (Don't worry, I'm going to stick to songwriting!)

September 19 - Gayle Skidmore -- 7pm
2081 Hillhurst Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90027
http://www.stageit.com/gayle_skidmore/gayle_skidmore_live_from_the_coffee_bean/4446Artist info:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gayle-Skidmore/15510309150
https://twitter.com/#!/gayleskidmore

Orange County Blends Coffee, Tea & a School Supply Drive

posted by: Cassie Piper - Social Media Coordinator for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®
You may already know that each of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® locations continually reach out to support their surrounding community. Well our Orange County stores have gone above and beyond to give back to the local schools.

David De Candia, Director of Tea and Jay Isais, Director of Coffee have even created a special blend inspired by Orange County and sold exclusively in our Orange County stores. $1.00 from the sale of these OC Coffee & Tea Blends will go to the local school that our stores have partnered with in their neighborhood.

It doesn’t stop there. Now through September 18th, these stores will also be collecting donations for a School Supply Drive. Check out the photos of these donation stations.

Brea’s Box for the OC School Supply Drive, on the right and Anaheim’s 3 R’s Robot for the OC School Supply Drive below.

There are five total locations in the OC area that will be participating in the School Supply Drive, please see list below.

We’re looking for: pencils, crayons, coloring books, paper, post its, markers, paper files, rulers etc.

JACK FM has even jumped in to support the drive. They will be on location at our Fountain Valley store giving away concert tickets and other prizes to encourage everyone to come out, enjoy some coffee and tea, make a donation and support the OC schools. We hope to see you there!


Also, don’t forget to nominate us for Best Coffee! – Item #39 in the Best of OC Weekly. Thank you!

Participating OC School Supply Drive Locations:


The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®

1080 E. Imperial Hwy, #E-2

Brea, CA 92821


The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®

2002 East Lincoln Blvd.

Anaheim, CA 92806


The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®

205 Orangefair Ave., Space 11A

Fullerton, CA 92832


The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®

Mall of Orange

2202 N. Tustin Street, Suite C

Orange, CA 92865



The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®

18503 Yorba Linda Blvd. #A

Yorba Linda, CA 92885

One for Me, One for You and One for – oh, Have You Met Aaron?

posted by: Cassie Piper Social Media Coordinator for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®
The last video in our Summer Iced Tea Video Series highlights what I think is our most visually appealing iced tea, the Swedish Berries Fruit Infusion.

Michelle uses orange and basil out of all things, which turns out to be surprisingly delicious and one of my favorites. I even had to fight over a taste test with our Product Development Coordinator Aaron Brewster.

You’ll get to meet Aaron in this video, and you’ll probably be able to tell what a great guy he is. Aaron prepped all of the fresh ingredients for our videos and played a major part in approving all of the recipes that Michelle has demonstrated for you this summer.

Well that’s it for us! If you are a lucky owner of the CBTL Single Serve Beverage System made by The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, we have more videos just for you! You will learn how to make single servings of iced tea from a single tea capsule and get ideas on how to take them to the next level, similar to what you’ve seen here.

I hope you have enjoyed these videos, we are currently working on some fantastic recipes for the holiday and we can’t wait to show you! Thanks again for watching, your feedback, comments and tweets are much appreciated!

Blog Giveaway Q: Which of these Swedish Berries Iced Tea recipes would have you fighting Aaron over for a taste test? Leave your response below and we’ll pick 4 people at random to receive a tin of our Swedish Berries tea.

Blog Giveaway terms and conditions: The contest begins upon posting of the blog announcing the Contest and ends at 12 p.m.. PST the following Wednesday. To enter, you must post a comment and answer the question posed in the blog, providing a valid email address. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Contest limited to U.S. only., One contest entry per email address. Odds of winning depend on the number of valid entries received. Sponsors clock will determine winner. List of winners available upon request by contacting Sponsor. Prizes subject to change without notice. Sponsor may notify winner via email: if winner does not claim the prize within 48 hours of being e-mailed, Sponsor will pick a new winner. Prize shipped at no cost to U.S. Residents. Contest Sponsor: International Coffee & Tea, LLC d/b/a The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® 1945 S. La Cienega Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90038.

Easy Breezy Iced Green Tea for Summer

posted by Cassie Piper Social Media Coordinator for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
Green tea may be my favorite type and making Summer Iced Tea out of it was easy breezy! Michelle demonstrates that with a few fresh cut strawberries and a splash of sparkling mineral water, you can really transform your iced tea into a tasty and truly beautiful summer beverage.

Also, side note - Michelle wanted me to mention that when brewing green tea, the optimal temperature is actually lower than boiling and should be closer to 185 degrees.

Something I also wanted to mention is that these recipes are great for full pitchers of iced tea. Michelle follows the recipe for a single serving, but all you need to do is triple the fresh ingredients and allow them time to infuse within the pitcher. You can pour each glass and top them off with the sparkling mineral water to keep the bubbles fresh.

Blog Giveaway Q: What’s your favorite base iced tea? Black, green or fruit? Leave your response below and we’ll pick 3 people at random to receive a tin of their favorite base tea.

Blog Giveaway terms and conditions: The contest begins upon posting of the blog announcing the Contest and ends at 12 p.m.. PST the following Wednesday. To enter, you must post a comment and answer the question posed in the blog, providing a valid email address. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Contest limited to U.S. only., One contest entry per email address. Odds of winning depend on the number of valid entries received. Sponsors clock will determine winner. List of winners available upon request by contacting Sponsor. Prizes subject to change without notice. Sponsor may notify winner via email: if winner does not claim the prize within 48 hours of being e-mailed, Sponsor will pick a new winner. Prize shipped at no cost to U.S. Residents. Contest Sponsor: International Coffee & Tea, LLC d/b/a The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® 1945 S. La Cienega Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90038.

*We picked our winners using the random number generator at random.org. Congratulations! We have your email address and we’ll contact you about your prize shortly.

StageIt Stands Up to Cancer

From the StageIt crew posted on https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=257763204248920

Come join us all day on August 30th as Stageit Stands Up To Cancer! Look for the green and pink ribbon show in the picture to see the artists that are participating!

Watch some of your favorite Stageit artists:

Rachel Platten
Jenny Owen Youngs w/ Everyone Is Gay
Don Schlitz
Stacy Clark
Jeremy McComb
Jenna Bryson
Larry Bagby
Evan Lowenstein
Eric Himan
Luca Longobordi
Louis Grassi
Noah Guthrie
Frank Palangi
Mike Pearce
Mike Vavrek
Celeste
Brian Hagene
Jack & Diane
David Martinez
And many more!!!

We're hosting the Stageit Stands Up To Cancer benefit night in honor of one of our coworker's mother just passing away from her fight with lung cancer.

Below is a message from Laura McDonald, a Stageit employee:

As you may or may not know, on July 2nd I lost my mom to lung cancer. She was my hero, my best friend, and my #1 fan. She fought an incredibly hard battle, and for one year after she was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer, she got to live an almost normal life. Through lung cancer research, they developed a drug called Tarceva, which was a chemo pill that my mom took daily to shrink and maintain her cancer. She was able to drive, travel, live, and take care of everyone in her life, especially her grandchildren and also, well, me. My mom was adamant about donating to cancer research, and encouraged others to do the same, as that’s where she felt that our money had the most direct effect.

To honor my mom, and everyone else who has been affected by cancer of any kind, we are hosting a Stageit Stands Up To Cancer night on Tuesday, August 30th. We are inviting artists to play a show, whether it’s one song or ten, from wherever they are, whenever they can, to help raise awareness and funds for lung cancer research. I would be honored if you would participate. Proceeds from the show will be donated to the Lung Cancer Colorado Fund in my mom, Debbie McDonald’s, name.

We all have been affected in some way by cancer. We all can make a difference. Thank you for lending your talents to this important cause close to my heart. It means everything to me.

With love,
Laura

====================================

If you are an artist who would like to participate in this event, please feel free to contact artists@stageit.com!

The Coffee Bean Newbie - Chris Kirby Performs LIVE!

He's a witty, spitey, pasty white kid from the woods whose style is simply addictive. With his new record, entitled Vampire Hotel, Chris Kirby gets down to business playing funky piano, saucy guitar, and singing as if the fate of his own mother hangs on every word.

After a quick interview with Chris before his StageIt performance tonight, we came to find out, he's also a Newbie!

CB: Coffee or Tea?

Chris: Coffee! Unless I have a cold... then it's tea with honey in it.

CB: When did you first discover The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf?

Chris: I'm about to make my first trip to LA, and thus have my very first Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf experience! I discovered The Coffee Bean through my friends at Stageit.com.

CB: What is your favorite drink from The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf?

Chris: Since I'm about to have my first experience, I'll have to get back to you on this! I will make it a point to try as many drinks as I can!

CB: If you could create a new drink, what would the ultimate main ingredient be?

Chris: The main ingredient in my drink would be Screech - that's a famous dark rum from my home in Newfoundland. In cocktails, deserts or hot beverages, Screech is the tastiest ingredient I know of!

CB: Create your best tagline using "Stageit" and "The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf"

Chris: Wake up your soul with Stageit and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf!

August 25 - Chris Kirby -- 7pm

445 N. Beverly Drive

Beverly Hills CA, 90210

http://www.stageit.com/chris_kirby/chris_kirby_live_from_the_coffee_bean/4039

Artist info:

https://www.facebook.com/chriskirbyandthemarquee

http://twitter.com/#!/chrisfnkirby

"What's Steeping" with David De Candia

By David De Candia - Director of Tea for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

From The Tea Specialist Newsletter, August Edition
I have been asked to judge many US based tea competitions over the last 14 years. It is always a great honor to be a part of a very special and important event.

Recently I was asked to Judge my third Hong Kong International Tea Fair for 2011.

I was part of a panel of six judges: the Director of The World Tea Union, Asst Director of the Sri Lankan Tea Board, Professor Chinese Mainland, President of the Taiwan Tea Science Society, and the President of the Chinese Tea Association. Two of these judges started with me three years ago in this competition.

The categories we judged are as follows: Black Tea, Aged Tea (Pu-er), Green Tea and Oolong Tea. We had one hundred and twenty samples to taste. The judging criteria was dry leaf shape, steeped color, steeped aroma, steeped flavor and steeped leaf shape. Each criteria carries a different percentage weight in the judging. This judging is a blind competition of course. I was selected as the chief.

There is no question that I love doing this type of competition. In addition, as usual I was given a translator to communicate with the other judges.

Winners of the competition were announced at a reception the next day at the Tea Fair.

Many tea professionals will tell you that there is something very special about tasting and discussing tea with fellow tea professionals. Whether you’re a Tea Guru or Tea Master or Director of Tea, the connection is there. When you see your fellow judges you’re reminded of last years’ experience and in-depth discussions of tea that tend to go on for hours into the night.

I’m looking forward to 2012.

– David De Candia

David De Candia - second in on the right, stands with the panel of judges for the Hong Kong International Tea Fair 

English Breakfast with a Splash or Two!

posted by: Cassie Piper Social Media Coordinator for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®

When I’m in the Test Kitchen with Michelle, I am truly inspired. She took our most basic black tea – English Breakfast and created four completely different and unique variations that had me screaming summer! Not only did they taste like summer, they looked like I should be sipping these sitting in a hammock on the beach or poolside at a spa resort.

Michelle is the genius here, she created all of these recipes for you and all I had to do is pour the iced tea! Now that’s what I love about our Summer Iced Tea Video Series, she makes it so easy to recreate these at home with just a few simple ingredients that you can buy at any grocery store or a Farmer’s Market.

I just had to try the Spa Inspired Iced Tea recipe and absolutely loved the Strawberry Lemonade Iced Tea.

BLOG GIVEAWAY:

Which English Breakfast Iced Tea recipe would you like to recreate at home? Leave your response below and we’ll pick 4 people at random to receive a tin of our English Breakfast tea.

*We've extended our blog giveaway so that everyone has at least a week to enter. Make sure to check back on last week's blog giveaway to see if you've won.

Blog Giveaway terms and conditions: The contest begins upon posting of the blog announcing the Contest and ends at 12 p.m.. PST the following Wednesday. To enter, you must post a comment and answer the question posed in the blog, providing a valid email address. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Contest limited to U.S. only., One contest entry per email address. Odds of winning depend on the number of valid entries received. Sponsors clock will determine winner. List of winners available upon request by contacting Sponsor. Prizes subject to change without notice. Sponsor may notify winner via email: if winner does not claim the prize within 48 hours of being e-mailed, Sponsor will pick a new winner. Prize shipped at no cost to U.S. Residents. Contest Sponsor: International Coffee & Tea, LLC d/b/a The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® 1945 S. La Cienega Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90038.

*We picked our winners using the random number generator at random.org. Congratulations! We have your email address and we’ll contact you about your prize shortly.

Our Soldier of the Week: Specialist Zachary Thomas Shubinski



Steve Shubinski shows his Support from Home

 You may have noticed our stores hiding under all of that camouflage this summer as we rally our friends and family to Support our Troops overseas. For our fans on Facebook, we’ve extended the celebration by highlighting a Soldier of the Week as our profile photo. Each week we choose a service person in any branch to share our thanks within the community.

This week we have an extra special submission from one of our own District Managers Steve Shubinski. Steve has been a huge advocate of our Support from Home mission and shares his own thanks from his family and his son who currently serves our country.



Soldier of the Week



“My son, Specialist Zachary Thomas Shubinski is a member of the 222 Brigade in the 10th Mountain Division out of Ft. Drum New York.  Zach enlisted a few days after his 18th birthday and entered basic training in July of 2008.  His chosen “MOS” was a forward observer.  He was deployed to Afghanistan in January of 2010 and returned home in November 2010.  I am happy to say that Zach has developed quite a liking both for coffee and tea in the army.  In Afghanistan he drank quite a bit of Chai which is a sweetened black tea.  Now that he is home, one of his requests is for us to send him and his wife Jessica a regular supply of Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf coffee!  Thank you for your service son.  Your Mom and I are very proud of you!” - Steve Shubinski

How to Make Iced Tea, oh and Have You Met Michelle?

posted by: Cassie Piper Social Media Coordinator for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®

It’s been a HOT summer so far and it’s just the beginning of August! While looking for ways to cool down and debating on whether or not to run out to The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf up the street from my house, I thought why don’t I just make a pitcher of iced tea at home? 

Sure, I’ve bought those fancy tea tins from our stores and they’ve been sitting in my cupboard for the nights I need something soothing to help induce sleep, but I had never considered making iced tea with them. Then I thought, if only Michelle Stene were here, she could show me how.. she could show everyone! And so, the Summer Iced Tea Video Series was created.

Michelle Stene is my inspiration in the culinary world. As I mention in the video, Michelle is one of our magic makers at the company aka Director of Product Development. I have to admit, I’m a little envious of her job, which to me sounds like she’s playing around in the test kitchen all day and I tease her for it in the video. In reality, she comes to work every day infusing all of her brilliance and talents into those tasty beverages you crave in our stores.

I knew she could help with this project, and sure enough she was more than willing to show me and YOU how to brew the perfect iced tea at home. Our Summer Iced Tea Video Series starts you out with the basics; how to brew the perfect black, green and fruit iced teas.

Once you’ve mastered the basics, she’ll show you some delicious and beautiful ways to take your iced tea to the next level for any sweet summer occasion. We’ve created three more videos that follow this introduction where we really focus on each unique tea profile and their complimentary flavors. Watch all three to get some great ideas for summer, plus we have some tasty tea to give away!

Michelle and I were actually a little nervous to be on camera but we would love to hear your feedback. I told Michelle you would tweet her all of your questions, so don’t forget to show her some love @CBTLMichelle.

And just for you, we have some fun tea items to give away! We'll pick 3 participants at random to receive our handy dandy tea timer.

Watch the Introduction video to our Summer Iced Tea Series below. Answer the following question and submit your response in the comments, make sure to read the terms & conditions!

Question: What is the steeping time for each tea?

·         Black/Oolong

·         Green

·         Fruit Infusion

Blog Giveaway terms and conditions: The contest begins upon posting of the blog announcing the Contest and ends at 12 p.m.. PST the following Wednesday. To enter, you must post a comment and answer the question posed in the blog, providing a valid email address. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Contest limited to U.S. only., One contest entry per email address. Odds of winning depend on the number of valid entries received. Sponsors clock will determine winner. List of winners available upon request by contacting Sponsor. Prizes subject to change without notice. Sponsor may notify winner via email: if winner does not claim the prize within 48 hours of being e-mailed, Sponsor will pick a new winner. Prize shipped at no cost to U.S. Residents. Contest Sponsor: International Coffee & Tea, LLC d/b/a The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® 1945 S. La Cienega Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90038.

*We picked our winners using the random number generator at random.org. Congratulations! We have your email address and we’ll contact you about your prize shortly.

Ryan Calhoun LIVE at The Coffee Bean®

We love Ryan Calhoun and we were so excited to see him perform live at our Los Feliz location on Hillhurst Ave. It was a beautiful Tuesday evening, sunny with clear skies, just got out of work and headed straight down Sunset to see the show.

When we arrived, the StageIt crew was setting up and Ryan Calhoun sat strumming a few tunes for his sound check. Dallas and Asher completed the musical trio which was a pleasant surprise as we had only expected a solo performance. The patio at this location was the perfect setting for a hot cup of tea or coffee with Ryan singing his heart out to the crowd and the computer.

The StageIt Concert Series has made our summer in LA pretty exciting and we hope you’ve had the chance to come out to at least one performance or stream it in real time on your computer.

All of the artists that StageIt books for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® series are truly talented and Ryan proved to be no exception. The best part about this concert series is that ANYONE can join us and stream the performance live through StageIt.com so it was really cool to see everyone chatting online about how gorgeous and of course talented Ryan was, we thought so too!

So what did you think of Ryan Calhoun? Should we invite him back to play for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®?

http://ryancalhounmusic.com/

If you missed our interview with Ryan last week, check it out below. You can stay on top of our Concert Series schedule on Facebook.com/thecoffeebean or at Stageit.com/theCoffeeBean.

2011 World Iced Tea Championships

Our Tea Master Blender/Buyer David De Candia marks his score for the 2011 World Iced Tea Championships.

The iced tea was judged in the following categories:

Ready-to-Drink (RTD)Category Definition
i) Defined as pre-bottled or packaged drinks that require no further brewing or preparation.

ii) Sweetened is defined by the addition of sugar, corn syrup, glucose, honey or any other natural or artificial sweetener. No flavoring is added.

iii) Flavored is defined by the addition of herbs, fruits, spices, natural or artificial flavorings that is added to and/or intended to alter or improve the flavor of the tea. Includes flavored teas that are also sweetened.

Foodservice Category Definition
i) Defined as iced tea commercially available and sold to foodservice establishments; packaged in 1.5 or 3 gallon portion packs or Bag-in-a-Box tea concentrates and brewed in commercial iced teas brewers.

1. Filter pouch or open-brew teas are acceptable.

2. Consumer retail tea bags, entries in tins or product packaged in any way that does not meet the above definition will be automatically disqualified.

ii) Flavored is defined by the addition of any herbs, fruits, spices, natural or artificial flavorings or anything that is added and/or intended to alter or improve the flavor of the tea. Includes flavored teas that are also sweetened.

1. No sweeteners or garnish will be added to the brewed product.

Check out the winners below:

http://www.teachampionship.com/index.php/champions/2011-iced-tea-champions



Our Interview with Mark Russell

Ashley Arrison fell in love at The Coffee Bean, we just fell in love with Ashley Arrison!

Ashley Arrison will be performing LIVE in-store and online at Stageit.com as part of our Summer Concert Series. If you can make it to Encino, CA tonight please stop by and you will receive 10% off of your beverage during the show. If you can't make it, brew a cup of coffee or tea and join us online through Stageit.

Who is Ashley Arrison?

Arrison’s childhood experiences set the compass for her musical passions. From performing as an orphan in a professional theatre production of the musical “Annie,” to singing along side Justin Timberlake as a duet partner for three years, to being a finalist on “The Mickey Mouse Club,” (among the names pop culture now knows so well), Arrison’s musical destiny was also framed by the rich and diverse musical heritage that existed in her childhood homes of Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee.

She has worked closely with composer Jon Brion, as well as toured as country star Radney Foster’s background vocalist for many years. She is an established studio singer who has sung on albums for artists ranging from Badly Drawn Boy to Lindsay Lohan. The first single from her CD "Hearts On Parade", “Trying To Help You Out,” was co-written with Kelly Clarkson, who also lends backing vocals to the track.

We asked Ashley a few quick questions before her performance tonight:

Coffee or Tea?
Tea on the daily.

When did you first discover The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf?My husband and I fell in love 5 years ago at The Coffee Bean at Ventura and Whitsett in Studio City. We would meet there every morning and talk until lunch... We still go there every morning. Hi Colin!

What is your favorite drink from The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf?Double vanilla tea latte. Bam.

If you could use any famous song title to name a drink, what would it be?
My Winding Wheel – Ryan Adams

If you could play a duet with anyone on the Stageit / Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf series who would it be?Neil Finn... or perhaps slightly more doable – the legendary Matt Nathanson.

Get in touch with Ashley Arrsion: 

https://www.facebook.com/ashleyarrisonmusic
http://twitter.com/#!/ashleyarrison

Tonight's Show:

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®
June 29 - Ashley Arrison - 7pm
16101 Ventura Blvd., Suite 180
Encino CA, 91316 http://www.stageit.com/ashley_arrison/live_from_the_coffee_bean/3180

Last Night at The Coffee Bean

If you were able to join us last night, in-store or streaming LIVE online from StageIt.com you know firsthand, Larry Bagby rocked out at The Coffee Bean country style.

In our previous post, an interview with Larry Bagby, we revealed his favorite drink – an iced mocha. Fans who came to see Larry received $1 off his drink of choice or 10% off their drink of choice!

Who would you like to see perform LIVE at The Coffee Bean in the Stageit Summer Concert Series?

Larry Bagby LIVE at The Coffee Bean

CB: First thing's first! Do you prefer Coffee or Tea?
LB: I prefer CofTea. It's a combo of coffee and tea... combined with cough syrup. I'm joking. What I really love is a good iced herbal tea or the ice blended rock and roll! I like them even without the coffee, even the flavor gets me pumped! Love it love it love it!!! Did I mention love it love it love it?

CB: So it's neither nor.. oh and you might have mentioned you love it but perhaps it's just the CofTea talking? We are glad to hear it! So what's your favorite drink?
LB: Beaneeeeee Bagby (Beanie Baby)
I love the Cafe Mocha or just a good old hot chocolate. Whatever kind of chocolate drink the bean throws in the cup I dig. I prefer the real sugar, but the no sugar added cafe mocha rocks and makes me feel wild and at home, for I'm a loco local.

CB: And loco for cocoa it seems! So when did you first discover The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf? Is there any kind of story, special moment or experience you'd like to share?
LB: I was playing at the ASCAP artist lounge up in Sundance, Utah. My friend's art lounge was taken over by Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and that's how I got hooked. Now I go there every day and refer to it as my office. My friends and family laugh because what musician and actor has an office? We are supposed to be waking up at the crack of noon on some random couch or as the old joke goes, "What do you call a musician without a girlfriend?" Homeless. So you could say Coffee Bean keeps me from having to tie myself down to one girl and it keeps me off the streets and makes me get my feet tapping to my country rock and roll beat!!!

CB: A muscian and a comedian, ok now we're really excited to see you play live! If you could use any famous song title to name a drink, what would it be?
LB: "Take it easy!" I would be singing that to myself while I'm spending all day at the bean on the net, drinking, and eating my breakfast, brunch, and lunch. If I keep going a midnight snack. I would skip dinner. I'm watching the weight!

CB: We would love to hear it! If you could play a duet with anyone on the Stageit / Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf series who would it be?LB: Like anyone in the entire world of music and musicians?
CB: Yep, anyone!
LB: Hmmmm... if I could pick anyone it would be Carrie Underwood or Allison Krause or however you spell her name. I love both of those voices and Carrie Underwood is one of my country crushes. Oh! And I have to throw in Tina Turner. I think her soul would make me step it up and sing my best, so her too. Oh and one more for shinikeys and gigglins. Angelina Jolie. I know I have issues with spelling celeb names, but I wouldn't let her see how I spelled it or you wouldn't right? She may not even sing, but I would just make her stand there while I sing to her and stare in a romantic and not creepy way. That might be the challenge and where the actor in me would have to take over. How do you not look at her in that? You know... kind of way. I am a good man, but I ain't blind.

CB: All right, all right, but the upcoming show features someone we're really excited to see live, and that's you! Larry Bagby! Anything you want to tell the fans to prepare them for what their in for?
LB: Bring your favorite Coffee Bean gift card and put on your flip flops or cowboy boots and listen to the sweet sounds of the Bagby Crying and Croonin!

P.S. If you bring a Bean Bagby, then we will give you 10% off your Bagby music and your bean drink! Beaneeebagbys! Or wear a coffee beanee in the summer for two of my songs and get a free cd... towel to wipe yourself down will be provided. You will need it while the California sunshine beams down upon your beanie cover head.

June 21 - Larry Bagby 7pm
1772-A East Avenida De Los Arboles
Thousand Oaks CA, 91362
http://www.stageit.com/larry_bagby/live_from_the_coffee_bean/3104

Artist info:
https://www.facebook.com/larrybagbymusic
http://twitter.com/#!/larrybagby

Meet Eric Lumiere

We are extremely excited to bring you our 3rd LIVE concert with Eric Lumiere from our Summer Concert Series through Stageit.com.

Stageit is an online venue that allows musicians to stream exclusive LIVE concerts to fans. This week Eric Lumiere performed in front of a store full of fans as well as into his laptop where more fans watched to cheer him on through Stageit's chat room feed.

We had the chance to ask Eric a few questions about his love for music and The Coffee Bean right before his set.

CB: Here’s a tough one for you - Coffee or Tea?
Eric: Tea

CB: Ah! A tea man! What’s your favorite tea from our stores?
Eric: Japanese cherry green iced teaCB: Great choice! And when was it that you first discovered The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf?
Eric: I have no idea, but I must have been thirsty and needed some good coffee or tea!

CB: You certainly came to the right place! One last question for you, if you could play a duet with anyone on the Stageit/Coffee Bean summer concert series, who would it be?
Eric: Adele, Skylar Grey, or Stevie Nicks

CB: Well we would love to have any of those artists in store as well, let us know when you work out a performance date! Thanks Eric, we are looking forward to seeing you perform LIVE here at The Coffee Bean and through Stageit.com.

Tell us where we can go to follow your journey in music beyond tonight.

Eric: Thanks Coffee Bean, you can ‘like’ me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ericlumieremusic and follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/ericlumiere

The “Top Two Leaves and a Bud”

By David De Candia

David plucking tea in Sri Lanka.

Plucking the top two leaves and a bud is never an easy task, yet these tea pluckers make plucking seem extremely easy. Even when they’re climbing at awkward angles they manage to continue plucking without missing a step. There is an incredible rhythm to plucking and it’s amazing to see all the workers in what seems like choreographed dance.

For me, plucking was a way to become even closer to the beverage I love. However, since it would take me a week to fill my basket, I don’t think I have a future in plucking tea leaves.

-David De Candia, Tea Buyer/Master Tea Blender for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

Did you know?

One full basket of tea leaves is about 22lbs or about 8,000 sets of two leaves and a bud. Most tea pluckers can collect a basket and a half in one day!