The long answer to the question: Why brown jars?

When Barbari was born, selecting the right container for our Herbal Blends was just as important as sourcing the herbs themselves. We knew we needed something airtight, something made with as little plastic as possible, and something kind of beautiful. A visually-appealing vessel meant to complete any collection of chic smoking paraphernalia.

Instead of more affordable, single-use plastic options, we sought out a recyclable material in a repurposable form. We considered clear glass at first (can’t deny the aesthetic allure), but it didn’t do anything for the herbs other than keeping the air out. For that 6-year-old shaker of thyme in the back of your cupboard, that’s all you really need. Quality dried herbs are shelf-stable and will retain their flavors, aromas, and properties for impressive amounts of time with airtight storage. But our Herbal Blends aren’t made for hiding in the back of a cupboard.

Light has a photochemical reaction that degrades materials when exposed. Color fades, flavor disappears, and vital properties evaporate. If we wanted to retain the freshness of these colorful flowers and herbs as long as botanically possible, our jars had to block light. Allllllll the light.

Our Herbal Blends aren’t made for hiding in the back of a cupboard.

Ultimately, we went with the UV-resistant amber glass, which protects the integrity of the herbs wherever they are stored. We love how the rich, deep sepia hue lends a touch of mystery to the contents within. And once you roll up the last bit of herbs, the amber jar can be repurposed to hold close to anything: capital-H Herb, spices, emergency purse granola, travel q-tips, homemade balms, etc. Get extra creative with yours, tag us on Instagram and we’ll share your innovation.

We are currently working on a subscription model that will make it easy to refill emptied jars with fresh smoking herbals, so your jar can live many lives. From the start, we have worked towards ways to make Barbari more sustainable as a whole, and we’re really excited to launch this new program. Subscribers will receive their refills in lightweight, disposable packaging made of sustainable materials. More to come soon!

Till then, keep rolling and stay grounded.