Best International Tea Headed to SCAA Show

With a name like Best International Tea - we're obviously a tea company! We're the exclusive North American importers of S.D. Bell & Co teas from Belfast, N. Ireland. But you may not know that we also import several of S.D. Bell's premium coffees.

Just as they carefully select and hand-blend their premium teas, the Bell family also roasts a wide variety of coffee. Coffee roasting takes place on a daily basis at S.D. Bell, usually using the old, traditional roaster from generations past. The aroma of freshly roasted beans has been known to awaken the inhabitants of their Knock neighborhood each morning.

We are formally introducing this part of our line at the Specialty Coffee Association's annual event, the SCAA Expo this April 11-14 in Boston. This is a major coffee event, celebrating its 25th anniversary, and we are thrilled to be a part of it. In addition to the many exhibitors, the expo features barista competitions, classes and more. There's still time to register here.

We will be at booth 695 and look forward to meeting our fellow exhibitors and attendees!

Coffee for Longevity

As the name suggests, Best International Tea specializes in S.D. Bell & Co premium teas. However, we also import coffee from our friends in Belfast so we were particularly interested in this article about the Greek Island of Ikaria, where a special method of coffee-brewing may be the secret to a long life.

One percent of the inhabitants of Ikaria live well into their 90's (compared with .01 percent for the rest of Europe) and remain healthy, lively and sharp.There were several reasons that pointed to why Ikarians live so long: lack of pollution, a diet heavy in fruits and vegetables, moderate consumption of wine, and, interestingly, coffee brewed by a method of boiling.


Coffee consumption has previously been linked with several health benefits including protection against diabetes, Parkinson's disease and liver disease so researchers from the University of Athens decided to see if the boiled coffee could be linked to Ikaraians' longevity.



It turns out the Ikarian boiled Green coffee is rich in polyphenols and antioxidants and contains less caffeine than your typical brew. The study measured the endothelial function of Ikarians over age 65, compared to the amount of coffee they consumed. The endothelium is the layer of cells that surround blood cells, protecting them from cardiovascular disease.

The study found that subjects who consumed a moderate amount of boiled Greek coffee had better endothelial function than those who drank coffee brewed by other methods.

There's no guarantees, but it's certainly a unique look at our friend the coffee bean. While S.D. Bell's lays no claim to improved health with its coffee, we do know it will perk up your mood and energy!