Steep Stories

Tag: Smith Teamaker

  • 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.…

  • A Guy and His Gaiwan

    Back in 2009, I didn’t like oolongs. In general, anyway. There were some specific ones I liked, but most of them were off limits. I even explained this to Tony Tellin, lead blender extraordinaire at Smith Teamaker, when he was working the tea bar one day. He said, “You’re probably not brewing them right.” He…

  • A Weekend of Bug-Bitten Beauties and a Torched Tea Latte

    Like a lot of hourly, barely-above-minimum wage types, my “weekend” off doesn’t actually fall on a weekend. I’m lucky if I even get two days off in a row to call a weekend. Lately, though, I’ve been graced with exactly that. Do I use the time off to party, get things done, or run errands?…

  • The Shiny ‘n New Smith Tea HQ

    At the beginning of November, I received a curious invite. Well, that was new. I don’t get press releases very often, and I certainly wasn’t expecting one from Smith Teamaker. I knew they were opening up their new location, soon. But I had no idea that I was on the short list of press folks…

  • Having Oolong Ice Cream Every Which Way

    Several weeks ago, I made a trip to Smith Teamaker’s to try out some new tea concoctions they were working on. Tony Tellin, the lead blender was already doing a pouring of their new Masala Chai ON NITRO! . . . and I stuck around to try something else that was not yet on the…

  • Smith Tea . . . ON NITRO!

    Smith Tea . . . ON NITRO! – Teashop Adventure Week “On nitro!” Two words that I greatly missed from my beer-drinking days. From what I heard from a master brewer once, the process of pumping a beer keg full of nitrous oxide was to mimic the character of cask conditioning. The result was a…

  • Steeped Recipes at Smith’s

    I can’t cook . . . worth a damn. The only interest I’ve ever taken in food preparation is, well, how to eat it. That is where my exploration of the culinary arts begins and often ends. Beyond the making of an epic sammich (yes, sammich, not sandwich), my ability to cook, bake, and .…

  • Smoked Chai for the Momma’s Boy

    It’s been a weird and busy month. In the span of three weeks, I had driver’s license difficulties, car troubles, multiple projects, and some minor financial headaches. Yet all of these things didn’t affect my mood any. Reason being? My Mum had my back. As if it wasn’t quite obvious, I’m a total momma’s boy.…

  • A Bourbon-Scented, Tea Seeding Saga

    Back in June, one of the many wonderful things I came back with from World Tea Expo…was tea plant seeds. The Camellia Forest Nursery in North Carolina had donated some to the Tealet booth as gifts for passersby. Of course, I was one of those who jumped at the chance. Who wouldn’t want to grow…

  • V-Day Tea Day with Mum

    I think I’ve mentioned my mother’s in town for a couple of months, right? Unlike some thirtysomething males, I actually like having my mother around. No, not because she buys the food. In fact, I insist that she not do so. However, there are times when she offers that even I can’t refuse. This time,…