The obvious birthday ...

George Washington’s first recorded tea order included a request for six pounds of the finest Hyson tea England. His breakfast at Mount Vernon was routinely three cups of tea, no cream or sugar--the correct way to drink green tea, and three hoecakes made from Indian cornmeal with honey and butter.

According to Tea with Presidential Families by Beulah Munshower Sommer and Pearl Dexter, orders for tea were placed for both Mount Vernon and his Philadelphia residence. These orders included requests for Gunpowder green tea and Young Hyson. George Washington drank tea regularly before the American Revolutionary War, after the Boston Tea Party, while he was the commanding general during the war, and during his presidency, as did most Americans.
It is estimated that Americans at the time of the American Revolution drank more tea per capita than any other nation on earth, at times averaging ten pounds of tea yearly for every man, woman, and child. (One pound of tea makes about 200 cups of tea, so that’s 2000 cups of tea yearly!) He loved the best gourmet green tea and continued to buy highest quality teas throughout the war (Dutch ships carrying tea and supplies were allowed in). In the book George Washington’s Expense Account, by Marvin Kitman, records show that he purchased tea costing over $20 a pound (calculated to 1970 prices). I wonder if American Revolutionary War re-enactors know of George's love of tea ...

After he became the first American President, tea was always served for state occasions.
George and Martha Washington brought with them to the Presidency several complete tea sets as well as tea boards, tea tables, tea chests, silver teaspoons, and a silver-plated tea urn.

In honor of George's great love for green tea, particularly gunpowder green tea and Young Hyson, I'm placing both on sale through the end of the month (02/28/09) at 10% off. If you are placing an online order, please make reference to ``blogspot 022209'' in the Special Comments section of the online form. If you are making an in-ship purchase, please remind me of the sale. The highlighted words oin the articles I write are links to either my website or other sites of interest and/or relevance.