Find herbal teas, tinctures and more at this Mazomanie apothecary

When herbalist Clare Kritter’s sunlit storefront in sleepy downtown Mazomanie isn’t open for shopping, she might be in the back kitchen workshop stirring up tea blends like an alchemist. At Hedge Meadow Herbs + Apothecary, which opened in April 2023, Kritter sells her own blended teas, tinctures and flower essences. She also offers herbal products, bulk herbs, art, books and educational workshops. She says she grew up with an appreciation for plants but always felt overwhelmed by all there was to learn about them. It was when Kritter quit an “all-consuming office job” that she had an aha moment.

“I realized there was an herb school close to where I lived [at the time in California], and it was this obvious choice,” she says. From there, Kritter started a line of teas that she created through experimentation after three years of full-time herbal study.

Kritter starts the process in the back storeroom or at her shelves of bulk herbs in the storefront, collecting the herbs that she needs to make any one of her eight to 10 signature blends. All the herbs she uses are organic and many are sourced from small farms (as opposed to harvested in the wild). For her tried-and-true Good Night herbal tea, Kritter reaches for herbs known for their relaxing qualities: chamomile flower, lavender, spearmint, California poppy and rose petals. “It’s finding a balance between having [the tea] taste good and using gentle herbs that are typically safe for most people,” she says, meaning herbs that have displayed few side effects or contraindications over a long period of time. “And then balancing that with the intention behind the tea — like making [something relaxing] that people can drink before bed.”

Kritter measures each herb and adds it to a big bowl, where she mixes them all together before weighing and packaging the blend. And that’s it. “It’s really simple,” Kritter says. “Tea is an incredibly simple type of herbal remedy to make.”

Other blends in her product line support respiratory and digestive wellness and stress resiliency. Sweetheart, a newer Hedge Meadow blend intended for “heart-opening,” became a fast favorite. You might see it — a pink-hued tea dotted with hibiscus and rose petals, hawthorn leaves, flowers and berries — steeping in a clear French press on the counter the next time you visit Hedge Meadow.

HERE’S THE (OTHER) TEA

Pull up a stool at the tea bar and soak in the knowledge of Teasider co-owners and spouses Rachel and Anthony Verbrick. Whether it’s the proper method for whisking matcha or what tea to pair with dim sum (chrysanthemum), the Verbricks have the answers. 823 E. Johnson St.

Offering tea drinks in every color of the rainbow, Sencha Tea Bar creates a delight for the senses. Be on the lookout for fall flavors like s’mores and, you guessed it, pumpkin spice. 224 State St.

It’s not hard to see why a bestseller at Le C’s Patisserie & Tea House is the brown sugar bubble milk tea — a rich, velvety boba tea full of black sugar tapioca pearls. 411 State St.

Now under new ownership, The Bubbling Teapot (formerly Jade Mountain Cafe) is a not-so-secret spot for bubble tea on Madison’s eastside. 2611 E. Johnson St.

Pick up several heart-shaped single servings of black tea from Telsaan Tea and brew yourself a love letter. 108 E. Main St., Mount Horeb

Erica Krug is a contributing writer at Madison Magazine.

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