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Our favorite tea maker just released a collection of wellness teas—and they’re perfect with barre3 workouts
Most of us on the barre3 Home Office team have been working remotely for nearly eight months, and while there are so many things we miss, one of the biggest is the constant stash of Steven Smith Teamaker teas. We typically have a range of their teas—green, black, herbal—and no matter what time of day you pass through the barre3 kitchen, you’re likely to come across someone preparing a cup.
So when we learned that Smith just launched a collection of wellness teas, you can imagine how excited we were. After all, the only thing better than a steaming cup of tea is a steaming cup of tea with wellness benefits, right?
The collection includes three flavors: Golden Light, Soothe Sayer, and Lullaby. All are herbal, organic, caffeine-free, and all include adaptogens—herbs known for their ability to help the body handle stress. We were lucky enough to chat with Ravi Kroesen, Smith’s Head Teamaker, about the new collection. Read on to learn about the inspiration behind each flavor, how Ravi dresses them up to make them even more special, and why they’re great to drink after a workout (bonus: Read to the end to see which an online workout we’ve paired with each tea!).
BARRE3: We have so many questions about each specific tea, but before we dive in, can you tell us about the inspiration for your wellness collection?
RAVI: We started with the Golden Light in the beginning of the year. I grew up in an ashram drinking chai and golden milk (milk with turmeric), and those flavors always stuck with me. I’ve always wanted to make an approachable turmeric tea. Sometimes they can lean too savory or too curry-ish—more like something you’d want to eat for dinner. I wanted a version that was lush and delicious any time of day.
We saw Golden Light really take off after covid, and we were inspired to create a line of wellness teas to help people take care of themselves. Our thinking was that we all have so little control over the external world right now, but one of the things we can control is our bodies and what we put in them.
BARRE3: How did you decide what else should be included in the wellness collection?
RAVI: Well, we had an immunity tea with the Golden Light, so we just thought: What else do people need throughout the day to feel good? Since sleep and, especially now, reduction of stress and anxiety are so crucial to our wellbeing, we decided to focus on those. We created Soothe Sayer as a way to help reduce stress and Lullaby as a way to help foster sleep.
BARRE3: Once you decided what types of teas you wanted to create, what was the next step?
RAVI: In the Smith lab, we have a pantry that has about 30 to 40 herbs and spices, so we always start there.
BARRE3: Let’s get into the specifics of each tea. How did you decide what would go into each one?
RAVI: We knew Golden Light would have a turmeric base, but we wanted to add flavors that would make it approachable. And at Smith, we’re always looking for the twist on a flavor, so we had that in mind, too. We added sarsaparilla because it’s so rich and creamy and vanilla-like—it adds such a lush richness to it. Rather than add cinnamon or ginger—which would be more traditional for a tea like this—we added black pepper. It provides the spicy note, and it also helps the body absorb the curcumin in the turmeric.
BARRE3: So Golden Light was inspired by your childhood in India. How about Soothe Sayer?
RAVI: For Soothe Sayer, I took inspiration from old-world Europe. I was thinking of a 19th-century European spa. This is inspired by the tonic they might serve you after your treatment, with ingredients like peppermint, cacao, and nutmeg.
With Lullaby, I was thinking of how so many of us are stressed out right now and having trouble sleeping. Thinking of which herbs could be most helpful for that, I came up with ashwagandha, long used in Ayurveda. Ashwagandha is an adaptogen that’s super good for relieving anxiety, insomnia, and depression—we blended it with lavender, which is known to foster sleep, lemon balm, and licorice.
BARRE3: I love that the collection takes inspiration from around the world! Can you talk about when you’d recommend drinking each of these teas, and what benefits they offer?
RAVI: All of the teas in the collection are caffeine-free, so you can drink any of them any time of day.
Golden Light is a cure-all tonic that’s always a go-to breakfast tea. It helps the body deal with stress and brings it toward homeostasis. The turmeric in it has anti-aging and antiinflammatory properties, and the sarsaparilla helps reduce joint pain.
I like both Soothe Sayer and Lullaby during the day—and Lullaby specifically in the evening. Soothe Sayer has cacao, which improves cardiovascular function, and ginger, which helps the body copy with stress. And Lullaby has relaxing properties that help the body come back to center after being stressed.
All three of the teas are great to drink after a workout. When we exercise, our bodies are in a state of stress, and these teas include components that bring you to a state of rest and relaxation.
BARRE3: Do you ever dress these teas up with other ingredients?
RAVI: Oh definitely. You can make a delicious latte with Golden Milk—just add some milk (or non-dairy milk) and a little bit of honey. At work we make what we call a Teetotaler’s Toddy with Soothe Sayer by adding three slices of ginger per mug and some Mike’s Hot Honey for sweetness plus a little heat. Lullaby makes a great iced tea.
Thank you so much, Ravi! In addition to drinking the new teas all day long (we’ve been starting our mornings with Golden Light, sipping on Soothe Sayer during the afternoons, and winding down with Lullaby before bed), we’ve also been experimenting with drinking them after barre3 online workouts. Here are our favorite pairings:
Golden Light + barre3 Cardio Focus with Jordan: This heart-pumping workout is the perfect way to kickstart your energy in the morning, and we loved how a cup of Golden Light afterward helped us come back to center while feeling like a post-workout treat.
Soothe Sayer + barre3 Strength Conditioning with Dustin: Full of sustained holds and sweaty sequences, Dustin’s positive energy propels you through this challenging 45-minute workout. The uplifting peppermint and spicy ginger in Soothe Sayer felt like just the right match.
Lullaby + b3 Mind + Body Breath Program: The 4-part program is designed to help you reduce stress and ease anxiety by tapping into the power of breath, so it’s the perfect match for a tea designed to help you calm your body and mind at the end of the day.
Explore Smith Tea’s collection of wellness teas here and get started with barre3 by finding your local studio or signing up for a 15-day free trial of barre3 online today!
Most of us on the barre3 Home Office team have been working remotely for nearly eight months, and while there are so many things we miss, one of the biggest is the constant stash of Steven Smith Teamaker teas. We typically have a range of their teas—green, black, herbal—and no matter what time of day you pass through the barre3 kitchen, you’re likely to come across someone preparing a cup.
So when we learned that Smith just launched a collection of wellness teas, you can imagine how excited we were. After all, the only thing better than a steaming cup of tea is a steaming cup of tea with wellness benefits, right?
The collection includes three flavors: Golden Light, Soothe Sayer, and Lullaby. All are herbal, organic, caffeine-free, and all include adaptogens—herbs known for their ability to help the body handle stress. We were lucky enough to chat with Ravi Kroesen, Smith’s Head Teamaker, about the new collection. Read on to learn about the inspiration behind each flavor, how Ravi dresses them up to make them even more special, and why they’re great to drink after a workout (bonus: Read to the end to see which an online workout we’ve paired with each tea!).
BARRE3: We have so many questions about each specific tea, but before we dive in, can you tell us about the inspiration for your wellness collection?
RAVI: We started with the Golden Light in the beginning of the year. I grew up in an ashram drinking chai and golden milk (milk with turmeric), and those flavors always stuck with me. I’ve always wanted to make an approachable turmeric tea. Sometimes they can lean too savory or too curry-ish—more like something you’d want to eat for dinner. I wanted a version that was lush and delicious any time of day.
We saw Golden Light really take off after covid, and we were inspired to create a line of wellness teas to help people take care of themselves. Our thinking was that we all have so little control over the external world right now, but one of the things we can control is our bodies and what we put in them.
BARRE3: How did you decide what else should be included in the wellness collection?
RAVI: Well, we had an immunity tea with the Golden Light, so we just thought: What else do people need throughout the day to feel good? Since sleep and, especially now, reduction of stress and anxiety are so crucial to our wellbeing, we decided to focus on those. We created Soothe Sayer as a way to help reduce stress and Lullaby as a way to help foster sleep.
BARRE3: Once you decided what types of teas you wanted to create, what was the next step?
RAVI: In the Smith lab, we have a pantry that has about 30 to 40 herbs and spices, so we always start there.
BARRE3: Let’s get into the specifics of each tea. How did you decide what would go into each one?
RAVI: We knew Golden Light would have a turmeric base, but we wanted to add flavors that would make it approachable. And at Smith, we’re always looking for the twist on a flavor, so we had that in mind, too. We added sarsaparilla because it’s so rich and creamy and vanilla-like—it adds such a lush richness to it. Rather than add cinnamon or ginger—which would be more traditional for a tea like this—we added black pepper. It provides the spicy note, and it also helps the body absorb the curcumin in the turmeric.
BARRE3: So Golden Light was inspired by your childhood in India. How about Soothe Sayer?
RAVI: For Soothe Sayer, I took inspiration from old-world Europe. I was thinking of a 19th-century European spa. This is inspired by the tonic they might serve you after your treatment, with ingredients like peppermint, cacao, and nutmeg.
With Lullaby, I was thinking of how so many of us are stressed out right now and having trouble sleeping. Thinking of which herbs could be most helpful for that, I came up with ashwagandha, long used in Ayurveda. Ashwagandha is an adaptogen that’s super good for relieving anxiety, insomnia, and depression—we blended it with lavender, which is known to foster sleep, lemon balm, and licorice.
BARRE3: I love that the collection takes inspiration from around the world! Can you talk about when you’d recommend drinking each of these teas, and what benefits they offer?
RAVI: All of the teas in the collection are caffeine-free, so you can drink any of them any time of day.
Golden Light is a cure-all tonic that’s always a go-to breakfast tea. It helps the body deal with stress and brings it toward homeostasis. The turmeric in it has anti-aging and antiinflammatory properties, and the sarsaparilla helps reduce joint pain.
I like both Soothe Sayer and Lullaby during the day—and Lullaby specifically in the evening. Soothe Sayer has cacao, which improves cardiovascular function, and ginger, which helps the body copy with stress. And Lullaby has relaxing properties that help the body come back to center after being stressed.
All three of the teas are great to drink after a workout. When we exercise, our bodies are in a state of stress, and these teas include components that bring you to a state of rest and relaxation.
BARRE3: Do you ever dress these teas up with other ingredients?
RAVI: Oh definitely. You can make a delicious latte with Golden Milk—just add some milk (or non-dairy milk) and a little bit of honey. At work we make what we call a Teetotaler’s Toddy with Soothe Sayer by adding three slices of ginger per mug and some Mike’s Hot Honey for sweetness plus a little heat. Lullaby makes a great iced tea.
Thank you so much, Ravi! In addition to drinking the new teas all day long (we’ve been starting our mornings with Golden Light, sipping on Soothe Sayer during the afternoons, and winding down with Lullaby before bed), we’ve also been experimenting with drinking them after barre3 online workouts. Here are our favorite pairings:
Golden Light + barre3 Cardio Focus with Jordan: This heart-pumping workout is the perfect way to kickstart your energy in the morning, and we loved how a cup of Golden Light afterward helped us come back to center while feeling like a post-workout treat.
Soothe Sayer + barre3 Strength Conditioning with Dustin: Full of sustained holds and sweaty sequences, Dustin’s positive energy propels you through this challenging 45-minute workout. The uplifting peppermint and spicy ginger in Soothe Sayer felt like just the right match.
Lullaby + b3 Mind + Body Breath Program: The 4-part program is designed to help you reduce stress and ease anxiety by tapping into the power of breath, so it’s the perfect match for a tea designed to help you calm your body and mind at the end of the day.
Explore Smith Tea’s collection of wellness teas here and get started with barre3 by finding your local studio or signing up for a 15-day free trial of barre3 online today!
