Drink of the Week: Obama 44 Inaugural Blend

On January 20, when Barack Obama takes the oath of office to become America’s 44th president, there will be plenty of spectators popping open bottles of Champagne, but the folks at SerendipiTea have come up with another way to mark the occasion: Obama 44 Inaugural Blend. “The idea was to capture a bit of the essence of the man Obama,” says SerendipiTea co-founder Linda Villano. “So Kenyan black tea (a nod to his Kenyan paternal side) provides the foundation and quiet strength of the cup; for a big dose of all-American patriotism, we have apples and cinnamon; and finally mango, to honor Obama’s maternal side, especially his late grandmother in Hawaii.” The result is a full-bodied tea that’s mellowed by the sweetness of fruit and cinnamon, and that manages to be both energizing and soothing at the same time.