What's so special about tea?

Some thoughts about community and connection in my first Deep Steep newsletter.

Hi friend,

What a few weeks it’s been!

I opened the newest location of Bevy - at 2629 Cleveland Ave in St. Joseph, MI, inside the Yoga Life building - on Saturday, March 1.

And since then, I’ve poured at least a hundred free samples of tea and have had even more conversations, with the tea-curious, tea enthusiasts, and tea skeptics alike.

The other day, I asked two of my “regulars” (I love that I already have regulars!) what they thought I should write about for this first official edition of The Deep Steep. They both immediately offered up creative, insightful ideas for topics that went a lot deeper than the “tea 101” type content I’d been planning to lead with.

I was surprised and delighted, joking that they should be my official content strategists from now on (thanks, Amanda and Rob!)

But maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised. By the time I asked, they’d already been sitting in the shop for an hour or so, sipping and quietly talking. They were primed for creativity and depth and that was reflected in their ideas and conversation.

Tea is like that. It’s not obvious or in-your-face, but subtle both in flavor and effect. It’s not rushed or quick, it’s slowed-down and deliberate. It brings out a different energy, a different mental state, and a different sort of connection.

In future editions of this newsletter, I plan to include articles about practical things - like why I prefer loose-leaf over teabags, how to brew the perfect cup of tea, and the differences between black, green, oolong, white, and herbal teas.

But for this first newsletter, it just seemed appropriate to write about why I opened a tea shop in the first place, and to answer this question:

Just what’s so special about tea, anyway?

There’s something about our modern grab-and-go culture that just doesn’t work with tea.

Try ordering a cup at a typical restaurant or coffee shop and you’ll see what I mean:

• First of all, the tea quality probably isn’t great to begin with. There’s a whole world beyond grocery-store-quality bags; I wish more coffee shops and restaurants would up their tea game!

• Second, it’s often under-brewed or over-brewed: Tea is best prepared slowly, one pot (or cup) at a time. It requires attention and care that can’t be quickly replicated on a large scale: steeping too long, or with water that’s too hot, can lead to a bitter brew, while tepid water or a too-quick steep can lead to a cup of flavorless brownish water. If your barista or server doesn’t understand tea or don’t take the time to make it properly, you’re just not going to get a great cup.

• Third, it’s awkward. If you order a cup of tea at Starbuck’s and want to add anything to it, there’s going to be a drippy juggle to remove the lid, take out the bag, put in the sweetener or milk, stir, and put the whole thing back together again (this is usually still better than letting an inexperienced server or barista do it for you - trust me on this.) And you rarely get a convenient place to stash your teabag if you want a second cup. (Throwing away tea leaves that still have life left in them hurts my heart!)

But there’s more to it than that. To me, being handed a paper cup with a teabag string hanging limply out the side, running out the door, stuffing that cup in your car’s cup holder, and taking quick sips at red lights completely misses the point of tea! On-the-go is just not the way tea is meant to be consumed.

Tea is more than just fuel. It’s meant to be savored, and ideally, shared. Of course, it’s a delicious beverage - when treated right, that is! - but it’s also plant medicine, full of good-for-you compounds that somehow manage to calm the nervous system and give it a lift at the same time.

And all of the properties that make tea my favorite “bevy” are best when carefully prepared, cup by cup and pot by pot, and slowly savored.

And that, I think, is the true essence of why tea is so special. This beverage is all about connection with yourself and with others. Making tea at home can be a centering practice, almost a meditation: scoop the leaves, inhale their scent, pour the water, watch it steep, settle in to a favorite spot to sip. Sharing a pot of tea with a friend can be an opportunity to slow down and enjoy the experience together.

I’m honored that so many of you have chosen to share your time and space with me over the last few weeks, and I’m excited for what’s next as I expand my offerings at Bevy. I’m taking care in deciding how to best offer tea service in addition to the retail sales and frequent free tastings I’ve been delivering over the past few weeks: I want to make sure that whatever comes next, it’s done with the same spirit of connection and care it takes to brew a good pot of tea. So you can expect changes to roll out slowly and gradually as I get a sense of what the community needs.

I’ll be closing down the St. Joseph shop, Bevy “South”, for Spring Break - so you’ve got just a few more chances to stop in, say hello, and maybe pick up some tea, a mug, a craft project, or a book or journal for your travels or at-home vacation.

I’ll open here tomorrow (Wednesday) from 12-8 and Thursday and Friday from 10-2, but will be closed March 28-April 8 for Spring Break travel.

Bevy “North”, in the Upper Peninsula, will be open normal hours.

If you’re traveling along Highway 2 in the U.P. over spring break, stop into The Mill in downtown Manistique! There you’ll find the “flagship” location of Bevy, nestled inside a public market complete with a bookstore and multiple artisans and vendors. If you stop by, say hello to my sister Kathreen and brother-in-law Eric, who run the market full-time.

I’ve got all kinds of exciting things planned in the upcoming months, and can’t wait to share them with you! Look for another email from me later in the month with updated spring hours and more tea goodness.

And I’d love to hear from you - just hit “reply” to this email, and let me know why you love tea, what you’d love to see at Bevy, or anything else that’s on your mind!

Warmly,

Meagan