What's the right temperature and length to brew tea? It's complicated.

Plus, the Tea Bar at Bevy is open, with three different options for tea by the cup.

One of the most common questions when I’m talking about a certain kind of tea, or chatting with a customer in my shop, is some combination of the following:

“How hot should the water be?”

and

“How long should I let it steep?”

And as much as I hate giving vague answers to simple questions, the truth is?

It depends.

There are a small number of hard-and-fast (well, make that hardish and fastish) rules. Black tea almost always tastes best when brewed with boiling or very-near-boiling water, whereas light, minimally processed white tea needs a lower temperature - say, around 175F - so that the delicate leaves don’t burn and turn bitter.

Greens and oolongs also typically do better with less-than-boiling water - around 200F for oolongs and more like 180F for green. Most herbals can handle boiling water, and the typical recommended steep length is 5-7 minutes.

But if the exception proves the rule, with tea there are so many potential allowances based on palate, preference, tea quality and more, that it’s almost the reverse: the rule proves the exception.

Plenty of higher-quality oolongs can stand up to near-boiling temperatures, and even some white and green teas benefit from hotter steeps. On the other hand, while most herbals do great in boiling water, chamomile can easily taste bitter if brewed too hot or too long.

The amount of dry leaf you start with matters, as does the style of tea you’re enjoying, or if you’re planning to re-infuse the leaves after the first cup (and I think you most definitely should!) On your first infusion, you may need hotter water or a longer steep to get the flavor to open up. On a second infusion of the same leaves, you can get quite a lot of flavor from a lot less time and a lower temp.

And speaking of steep length, there’s just no such thing as a “standard.” I typically let my herbals steep far longer than the “typical” 5-7 minutes, because I like to extract as much flavor and therapeutic benefit as possible. If I want a really strong cup of English breakfast first thing in the morning, I often let it steep for close to five minutes - especially if I plan to add milk or honey.

Are you getting the picture? There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all rule for how to brew tea, or even different hard-and-fast rules for specific styles of tea!

And while I know that may frustrate the tea novices or dyed-in-the-wool rule followers among you, I think it’s very good news! It means that there is only one rule - what tastes good to YOU. That allows you, as a tea drinker, to relax a little and play. Get to know the teas you’re drinking, and see what happens when you infuse a favorite a little longer or shorter than usual, or with hotter or cooler water. You may find that it brings out flavors you didn’t realize were present and allow you to experience a familiar tea in a totally new way. And it will definitely lead to you having more of a relationship with the drink in your cup, which, in my opinion, is the whole point of drinking tea to begin with.

Of course, experimenting with tea at home is one thing, and providing a consistent experience in a shop is another! My bulk tea packaging offers a suggested steep time as a starting point. But I recommend starting at the shorter end, taste, and see what you think. Likewise, I don’t plan on doing a lot experimenting while brewing cups of tea for customers to drink - I’ll stick pretty closely to the recommendations. But I’m always open to brewing yours a different way if you have a preference, or sharing the way I personally like a specific tea brewed.

Which brings me to exciting news: I’m now fully licensed by the State of Michigan to offer tea by the cup at my St. Joseph/Infinity Wellness location!

As I roll out my new offerings this week, you’ll probably see me making some changes in real time as I see what works and what doesn’t. I appreciate your patience and am so excited for the opportunity to share more teas with you!

Here are some ways you’ll be able to buy tea by the cup from Bevy:

Self-Serve:

My in-person hours are limited, and Infinity Wellness is a busy place with people coming and going all week long - so I wanted to have an option for guests to be able to enjoy a cup of tea any time, even if The Tea Bar isn’t open. After a lot of thought about what would work best, I’ve decided to offer a small selection of bagged teas from Good Medicine Tea, a trusted partner that offers organic teas in nontoxic, compostable bags, for self-serve starting sometime this week.

You can also purchase snacks and prepackaged bulk tea at the self-serve station, which is to the right of the main counter at Infinity Wellness (look for the big water dispenser in the corner!)

You’ll see signs directing you in how to steep your tea and how to pay (Paypal, CashApp, cash, or text me an IOU and I’ll catch up with you later!)

Tea Bar & Apothecary:

Looking to enjoy a cup of tea while The Tea Bar is open? I’ll be on hand to brew up anything out of the glass jars in the front of the shop, and I can also measure you out a specific weight of bulk tea into a Kraft paper bag, or refill your container from home (for a .50 discount).

I have some travel coming up toward the end of June and into July, so my Tea Bar/Apothecary and retail hours will be a little more limited until after I’m back, but keep an eye out for upcoming hours soon! When the Tea Bar is open, I can accept all major credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, CashApp, and Venmo, and of course, cash!

CommuniTEA:

Enjoy a cup - or many cups - of tea with other Infinity Wellness friends! When CommuniTEA is in session, I’ll choose and brew 2-3 teas in large carafes, and for just $2 you can enjoy unlimited refills (or mix and match!) out on the newly-furnished patio.

I’ll always offer both a caffeinated as well as at least one herbal (uncaffeinated) option, so there’s something for everyone. In addition to the opportunity to enjoy a sense of community and connection with others, it’s also a low-cost and low-commitment way to expand your horizons and try a new-to-you tea!

Our first CommuniTEA session will be from 12:30 - 1:30 PM on Monday, June 16, right after the 11:30 Aromatherapy class! Head out to the patio after class, and you’ll find carafes of tea and teacups. Just grab a cup and fill ‘er up!

The $2/unlimited CommuniTEA offering is exclusively for “drink-in” customers, but you can always get a cup of your favorite tea to go if you’ve got somewhere else to be. But since tea is best when you share it with another person, I really hope you’ll take a few moments to sit and enjoy it here!

There is only one rule - what tastes good to YOU. That allows you, as a tea drinker, to relax a little, play, and see which teas you like best.

The magic of good tea with Henrietta Lovell, the Rare Tea lady

That’s all for today, friends, but I wanted to leave you with this podcast conversation between myself and Henrietta Lovell, author of Infused: Adventures in Tea and founder of The Rare Tea Company.

Henrietta and I discuss the fallacy of following “rules” in tea, tea history and the differences in how tea is consumed in different cultures, and her strong feelings about tea bags and flavorings in tea. She’s a truly fascinating and inspirational figure and I really enjoyed our conversation!

My conversation with Henrietta actually inspired me to think more about the “rules” we create for ourselves. Are they helpful, or can they become traps?

For example, I shared my preference for loose-leaf tea in a previous newsletter, but I also acknowledge that bagged tea is allowing me to offer you cups of tea when I’m not able to be here in person.

And while I’m not a fan of artificial flavorings and sweeteners being added to tea, I do carry a few teas with flavoring extracts and essential oils added. I find that they create an easier entry point into tea from the ultra-sweetened coffees and bottled drinks a lot of us are used to.

Since I want to be able to nurture a love of tea no matter where someone is on the journey when I encounter them, I want to have offerings that feel accessible and friendly. Also, they taste yummy!

Is there room for leaning into a healthier or “cleaner” preference in tea, without getting trapped by a quest for purity? That seems like a question that could apply to all kinds of things outside of tea, and it’s definitely got me mulling this afternoon as I sip my Golden Flower Oolong and think about how grateful I am to be able to share this journey with you.

I’d love to hear what you think…just hit “reply” to this email or comment on Substack and let me know.

Thanks for reading, and I’m looking forward to sharing a cup of tea with you soon.

Warmly,

Meagan