Tupelo Honey Tea Growler

In the spring of 2011, The Tea Lady was approached by a friend who suggested she sell iced tea in growlers, mimicking the world of craft beer.  She began searching for the glass types used by the craft beer industry but her whole heart wasn't in to this idea.  Until one day, it hit her.... make the growlers pieces of art.  So she reached out to the Twittersphere looking for a local pottery artist who would be as crazy as her and take a chance on this idea.  She found Garick Tai Lee.  Together they decided an approximate look for the growler but were perplexed with how to carry them.  Garick suggested using recycled materials.  So that day, The Tea Lady put out another tweet looking for an artist who works in recycled pieces.  Twitter responded unanimously with Dave Calfo.  Dave, like Garick, jumped in with both feet.  Together these guys made growlers with such appeal that they sold out in a mere 12 hours with people begging for more.  To answer those people, THEY'RE BACK!

This round of growlers is truly amazing.  Garick started with a unique clay that fires to a very matte look.  The color variation is anywhere from a brown to a creamy beige with some growlers actually ending up with a striped look.  Garick left the outside of the growlers unglazed so the beauty of this clay can stand alone.  He then poured a cream colored glaze inside so that the liquid doesn't seep through the pores.  Stamped into the side of the growler are leaves and our signature line, "Bee Well.  Drink Tupelo Honey Teas.".  Garick rubbed these stamps with an iridescent glaze that shimmers anywhere from a red, to a coppery gold, and sometimes even purples and blues.  Insert Dave here because he got the growlers and enhanced them to their fullest potential.

Dave decided early on in our prototype to do copper.  He got the growlers and had some issues with the design we discussed originally, but as a true artist does, he modified his plan and ended with a result that is breath taking.  Using recycled copper wire, he hand braided the wire and then sautered it onto the growler.  He then bent copper into a circle, hammered it to fit the contours of the growler and sautered it onto the copper wire.  Dave says as these age, the copper will patina and make the growler complete.

As before each growler is a numbered art piece which is stamped on the bottom.  These are one of a kind pieces and no two look exactly the same.  This is because Garick hand throws each growler on a wheel from scratch.  This is not a molded piece of pottery.  The handles are similar as Dave salvaged the copper and then hand molded each piece.  Some of the copper is darker than other pieces, but all will patina beautifully.

Because these growlers are made with clay, they hold the temperature of the tea longer.  Meaning if you put cold tea in it to go on a picnic, it will remain cold for several hours versus a glass growler which dissipates faster.  Conversely, if you put hot tea in it, it will remain hot.  We use corks, which are supplied because it allows for the variation in the neck size.

These growlers are easily cleaned.  Simply swish a mixture of water and white vinegar around inside and dump out.  Allow it to dry and you are ready to go.  If you would like you can add in some salt to the water and vinegar mixture to add agitation.  DO NOT PLACE IN THE DISHWASHER!