OCT 2023 ARCHIVE - Brew Guide

Brewing great tea is simple if you begin with tasty water, good tea, and an open mind.

Use these ratios and steep times as a starting point to explore how you like your tea! Wish it were stronger? Increase leaves or steep time. Too much for you? Reduce tea or time! There's no one right way to enjoy tea :)

Gaiwan · Mug · Cold Brew

GAIWAN BREWING

Heat water to 205°F.
Use ~5g tea for ~100ml (~3 oz) of water. With our gaiwan, that means filling about 3/4 of the way up, which also helps protect your fingers from the heat!
Pour hot water over tea leaves.
Steep for 10 seconds.
Use lid to strain tea into fairness pitcher or directly into teacups. If using fairness pitcher, distribute among cups. Enjoy!
Repeat, adding ~5 seconds to each additional steep until tea is too light for your taste.

Wait, I don't have a scale. How much tea is 5g?

5g of our ball oolong (Bamboo Peak, Golden Osmanthus) measures about 1 tablespoon.
5g of our ribbon oolongs (Bug-Bitten White Tip, Duck Shit, Lightning Strike, Midnight Blossom, Smoked Cassia) measures just shy of 1/4 cup.

MUG BREWING

Heat water to 205°F.
Use ~2.5g tea for an ~8-12 oz mug. (We like infuser baskets since they let the tea leaves fully expand!)
Pour hot water over tea leaves.
Steep for 2 minutes (or longer if you prefer your tea strong).
If using basket, remove and enjoy. Otherwise, strain into another mug and enjoy.
Repeat until tea is too light for your taste.

Wait, I don't have a scale. How much tea is 2.5g?

2.5g of our ball oolong (Bamboo Peak, Golden Osmanthus) measures about 1 heaping teaspoon.
2.5g of our ribbon oolongs (Bug-Bitten White Tip, Duck Shit, Lightning Strike, Midnight Blossom, Smoked Cassia) measures about 1 heaping tablespoon.

COLD BREWING

Use ~5g tea for 750ml of cold or room-temperature water.
Put tea in a pitcher and pour water over tea leaves.
Refrigerate for 10-12 hours.
Taste. Too light? Continue steeping and check back in another hour or two. Too intense? Dilute with a little water.
Strain and enjoy!