Steep Stories

Month: November 2016

  • Tea Tales and Mocktails

    Two weeks back, I received an invite to go here: Okay, I go to both Smith Tea locations quite a bit on my own, but this was a special occasion. Like last year, this was their media-only holiday pre-release party. They were going to be showcasing their upcoming blends, partnerships, and limited edition holiday offerings.…

  • Hugs, High-Fives, and Farmer Style Sencha

    A couple of years ago—on a visit to the Jasmine Pearl Tea Merchants shop— I tried a Japanese tea (that wasn’t sencha) that just . . . blew me away. It was a black tea blended with yuzu rind. Yes, the Japanese orange. When I described it to people, all I could muster was, “It’s…

  • A Transparent Tea Liquor

    This is a white tea called Doke Silver Needle. I . . . may have written about it several times. I know exactly where it comes from. (The Doke tea estate in Bihar, India.) I know who owns the estate. (Rajiv Lochan.) I know who makes it. (Rajiv’s daughter, Neha “Dolly” Lochan.) And I know…

  • Puerh . . . After a Fashion

    Shou (or cooked/ripe) puerh is difficult to market. Hell, puerh in general is difficult to spin. How do you convince people that something that’s fermented is something they want? Fermented leaves, no less; in cake form. The conundrum gets even hairier once you try to explain to people what the “cooking” process even is. Example:…

  • Cooked “Puerh” from Laos

    LaosTea—a wholesaler of heicha from Laos—had a booth at World Tea Expo again this last summer. And I didn’t visit it once. In my mind, I kept saying, Eh, I’ve already tried everything they have to offer. What I should’ve been thinking was, I really need to solidify some of my vendor networking contacts! Hindsight…