The World’s Most Democratic Drink
Matt Crews, the tasting manager at the Chicago’s TeaGschwendner (1160 N. State St. and 557 W. Diversey Pkwy.), believes tea is misunderstood.
“People think tea is just for Downton Abbey,” he said. “The cool thing is realizing it’s the most democratic drink around.”
And he’s right. Really, all teas are just dried plants and hot water—some of the cheapest and easiest beverages to make. Crews encourages tea drinkers to experiment and trust their own palates. Why not mix tea varieties?
“You might as well drink what you like,” he said. “And they’ve been mixing green and black and oolong for years. So, as long as it tastes good, I say go for it.”
Even though he’s a strong proponent of tea experimentation, Crews admitted he’s had his share of mishaps. Once, he steeped high-end Japanese green tea in boiling water for 10 minutes. “And it tasted like a dead fish,” he said. “Not like a fish that’s been cooked. I’m just imagining if I were to bite into a fish that had been lying outside for 10 days. It was disgusting."
For those not yet comfortable experimenting with this centuries-old drink, try one of Crews’s suggestions.
- Novices should try naturally sweet white varieties, such as elderflower, to ease them into tea drinking. These teas often give off light aromas like peony and vanilla.
- Pu-erh tea, a fermented Chinese tea, has a pleasant earthy taste, despite “smelling like a barn,” Crews said.
- Crews counts organic South Korean green teas among his favorites. They tend to taste similar to high-end Japanese green teas.
Browse Groupon for deals on tea, coffee, and treats, or perk up with these stories:
Tea connoisseur Shaun Rajah of the Palm Court tearoom at The Drake Hotel in Chicago shares rules for picking, making, serving, and drinking tea, including his take on pinky up or pinky down.
The tapioca-ball-filled Taiwanese drink may be having a moment.
Butter coffee is a Tibetan-inspired drink making its way to American shores. Learn more about many coffee shops' newest offering, including if it contains yak butter.
Coffee giants like Intelligentsia swear by direct trade, but many smaller roasters aren't buying in. Passion House's Shannon Steele tells us why.
Deals in columbus
Deals in columbus Other Deals in columbus
