Newsletter Archive Dec. 1, 2022

A woman seated at a chair in a kitchen tying large red rosettes to a shining red ribbon that trails off her lap and into a box on the floor. — Zhuping getting the ribbon ready for the grand opening.

This Saturday is the grand opening celebration of our new teahouse with a ribbon cutting, a lion dance, and martial arts and musical performances from 10:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The lanterns are hung, the red ribbon is knotted, and we’ve even got a sign on the front of the building.

If you stop by for a visit, we welcome you to bring a few dollars of lucky money to feed the lion with. Red envelopes full of small bills are a vital supplement to its symbolic diet of oranges (for good fortune) and cabbage (for the wealth of our community.) It brings you good luck, and the performers appreciate it too.

Close-up of the ornate face of a Chinese lion dance lion.

If you’re not in Tucson, we’ve still got you in mind. To commemorate the occasion, we put together an online-only special gift bundle. It’s a (very) short list of teas representing some of our oldest producer relationships and flavors that we personally love. It includes:

Zui Qun Fang (Drunken Peach) – A daring hybrid of wulong and black tea from Wu Jianming.

Da Fo Longjing from Lü Yiming – Utterly classic green tea and still Austin’s favorite.

Gongting (Palace Puer) from the factory of Li Dong and Chen Keke – Clean and uncomplicated shu puer, with color as dark as stout and mouthfeel like an Oreo soaked in milk.

This bundle of three teas comes with the gift of a free White Suet Jade Gaiwan, arguably one of the most versatile pieces of teaware you can own with its pure white color and Goldilocks 190mL size.

This focused selection is an ideal way to introduce a loved one to Chinese teas or set yourself up with a lineup of solid favorites.