Hacker’s Guide to Tea
TL;DR: All true tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant. If you are drinking something that did not come from this plant (chamomile, mint, tulsi, rooibos, etc.) it is not tea. Period. White, Green, [...]
2018 Tea Book Roundup
In this article, I cover 6 tea books that came out since our last roundup in late 2017. Overall, it was a strong year for quality tea books and we're continually seeing authors raising [...]
Teavana, A Distant Analysis
The news that in 2018 Starbucks will close its Teavana shops (more than 350 in all, there is no other such tea chain in the US), raises before tea specialists questions as to why [...]
2018 Tea Outlook
A new year is upon us and the tea industry is rife with innovation, cheeky trends, and funky fads. We asked 11 tea folk from around the world what they see coming down the [...]
2017 Tea Book Roundup
In this article, I cover 5 tea books that came out in 2017. Tea writers are raising the bar with each passing year and there are a few that came out in 2017 that [...]
The Artisan Specialty Teas of Sri Lanka
While in Sri Lanka this past August, I got an in-depth look at tea production throughout the country and happened upon some fantastic handmade teas. 95% of tea produced in Sri Lanka is Orthodox [...]
The Results are In: 2017 Tea Masters Cup Finals
The 2017 Tea Master's Cup Finals took place September 25-27 in Enshi, Hubei China. 29 participants from 13 countries competed in 4 categories: Tea Preparation, Tea Pairing, Tea Mixology and Tea Tasting. The competition [...]
150 Years of Ceylon Tea
Our very own Tony Gebely traveled to Sri Lanka from August 6 - 14 to cover the 150th Anniversary of Ceylon Tea. As a guest of the Sri Lanka Tea Board, he was given [...]
Exploring the Teas of Sichuan and Fujian with Jeff Kovac
Jeff Kovac is an instructor and lecturer for the Tea Association of Canada and owner of Four Seasons Tea Co. His tea life began while he was working in Sichuan Province. He studied tea [...]
Satemwa, an Orthodox Tea Producing Estate in Malawi
Satemwa is a family-run tea and coffee estate located in the southern portion of Malawi in East Africa. The estate was founded in 1923 by a Scotsman named Maclean Kay. The garden is now run by [...]
The Moonlit Tea Garden: A Conversation with the Founders of Jun Chiyabari
Jun Chiyabari is one of the most recognized names in Nepal's tea industry. The high mountain tea garden was started by two brothers, Lochan and Bachan Gyawali. I've been enjoying teas from their garden [...]
La Colombe Coffee Announces Retail Tea Program
La Colombe is a specialty coffee roaster and retail chain founded by Todd Carmichael and JP Iberti in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the time of this writing, there were 22 locations across the United States. [...]
American Tea Room Reopens Beverly Hills Location
After a 15 month hiatus, American Tea Room's original Beverly Hills outpost is open for business. The 14 year old tea business owned and operated by David Barenholtz now has 3 locations, one in [...]
Tea Tastes in 2017: A Forecast
A new year is upon us and the tea industry is rife with innovation, cheeky trends, and funky fads. We asked 7 tea folk from around the world what they see coming down the [...]
2016 Tea Book Roundup
In this article, I cover 6 tea books that came out in 2016. Tea writers are raising the bar with each passing year and there are a few (including my own) that came out in 2016 that [...]
Modern Tea Processing Methods In Taiwan
Taiwan has pioneered the innovation of Oolong Tea processing methods from the labor-intensive traditional way to a mechanized, high volume modern tea making procedure. In this post, we’ll introduce the purpose of each step [...]
Available Now — Tea: A User’s Guide
The day has finally come, my book Tea: A User’s Guide is now available! The work is a result of my 10 years as a student of tea. As you may know, tea is [...]
Guide to Good Tea in the Bay Area
You may not be aware, but the Bay Area is a hotbed of tea culture, nowhere else in the states can seem to support such a slew of high-end tea shops. What set the [...]
The Official 2017 Tea Festival and Trade Show Schedule
There are a growing number of tea festivals, industry trade shows and conferences around the world. This list is an attempt to capture them all and it will be updated as more dates are [...]
Oriental Beauty and Other Bug-Bitten Teas: Fact or Fiction?
When shopping for tea you're bound to come across some pretty bogus sounding marketing claims—tea picked by monkeys, affordable tea from 3000 year old trees, tea that will make you lose weight—so you'd be [...]