General Brewing Instructions for our Teas

Your tea packages will come from us with brewing instructions and specific temperatures.

We offer basic tea brewing instructions on some of our more unique teas below. Please check out our social media sites for information on upcoming classes, tastings, and workshops.

Remember, it’s all about tea, time, and temperature to get the best brew!
If you’ve had bitter tea, it’s most likely because the leaves were brewed too long or with water that was too hot for the type of tea.

For all teas, we start by warming the brewing vessel by pouring a bit of hot water into it, then dumping it out.

Unless you are brewing your tea “gong fu” style (see explanation below under pu-er tea), we recommend using 2-5 grams (approximately 1 tablespoon is 2g) of tea per 6 ounces of water. If you want to get finicky about preparing your tea properly, then buy a gram scale.  Use closer to 3 grams for small leaf tea, and closer to 5 grams for large, “fluffy” leaves that you can steep many times.  2.5 grams is the specialty tea industry standard.

PU-ER TEA

We serve our cake, brick, nest, and bamboo “pressed” pu-ers Gong Fu style, which means filling your brewing vessel about 1/3 of the way with dry tea, about 5g, and brewing short, 30 second (or less) multiple steepings. This brewing method allows the drinker to experience the tea’s true essence.

1. Break off a chunk (about 2 tablespoons per 6 ounces of water) of the pressed pu-er using a pu-er pick, or any “letter opener” type tool.
2. Place tea in strainer or brewing vessel. We use gaiwans, but you can use a deep strainer that sits on top of a cup. Or you could place tea directly in a cup and then strain it into another cup.
3. Pour boiling water over the tea to rinse it – discard the water from this first steeping.
4. Pour a second steeping, and let the pu-er steep for 30 seconds or less.
5. Strain it into your cup, or remove the steeping strainer from your mug.
6. Repeat, increasing or decreasing the brewing time as needed, as the pu-er will open up and can create some very dark steeps and a variety of flavors! You can easily get 8-12 steepings from the same pressed leaves!

GREEN TEA

1. The general rule for green tea is to use cooler water ranging from 140 – 185ºF. More delicate teas like Gyokuro require only 140ºF.
2. Add the recommended amount of tea noted on the tea packet to your brewing vessel or strainer.
3. Boil the water and let it cool to the desired temperature, usually 3-5 minutes, or use a thermometer.
4. Pour the water over your tea, let it steep 1 minute, then remove the water from the leaves completely. DO NOT let the leaves sit in water or they will become bitter.
5. You can get 3-4 steepings from our whole leaf green teas. Add 30 seconds to each re-steeping. For Japanese green teas, brew first cup for 1 minute, second cup for 30 seconds, third cup for 45 seconds, and the fourth cup back up to 1 minute.

(Brew YELLOW TEA just like Green Tea)

SPECIALTIES

• Refer to package instructions
• Brewing our Masala or Chai tea

BLACK TEA

Brewing black tea is quite simple – steep 3 minutes with boiling water! There are some varieties we carry like Jin Zhen and our Korean Black Tea which are done Gong Fu style, similar to Pu-er, so be sure to check the recommended brewing instructions on the tea packet. These black teas taste better if brewed with a bit cooler water.

OOLONG TEA

Oolong teas have the greatest range of flavors from green and floral to dark and smoky. Again, this tea can be brewed and many enjoy it Gong Fu style (see Pu-er) as you get the most pleasure as rolled oolongs unfurl.

1. Generally, rolled oolongs don’t present their complex flavor til the 2nd steeping as the leaves take time to unfurl.
2. The temperature for oolongs is generally 194ºF which is just under boiling. For subsequent steepings, you can use boiling water.
3. Place your tea in the strainer or vessel and pour 194ºF water over the tea.
4. Let it steep for 1.5 – 2 minutes.
5. Remove the leaves from the water and voila!
6. You can get 4-6, or more, steepings.

WHITE TEA

This most delicate of teas has flavor ranges from piney or nutty to crisp and clear.

1. Place tea in strainer or gaiwan.
2. Boil water then let it sit for 5 or so minutes – ideal temperature of the water should be 176ºF.
3. Pour the cooler water over the tea leaves and steep for 2 minutes.
4. Strain and enjoy.
5. Add 30 seconds to each subsequent steeping.
6. You can get 3-5 steepings.

HERBAL TEAS

We steep all herbals with boiled water for a minimum of 4 minutes. If a blend, like Sereni-Tea, Immuni-Tea or seaweed or mushroom teas, we steep it 5 minutes or longer.  We do not re-steep herbals as lack of potency is evident in subsequent infusions.

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