Dear Tea Friends,
We wanted to wish you a very happy New Year from all of us at Tea Drunk! As the year ends, we’d like to take a moment and reflect on how grateful we are for all of you and this incredible community we’ve nourished together. Thank you for continuing to support our small all-women business. That thank you extends beyond our stateside team and is felt by all of the heritage farm families we work with in China to craft the best teas you adore every vintage.
We started the year with a daring endeavor. With our incredible partners in Latin America, Soy Te and Pei Chen Tea Palace, we launched a unique tea processing class in Argentina’s tea country. It was the first time many styles of artisanal teas were made in the region. We were touched by the eagerness to produce better teas from our students, many being local farmers. It’s an affirmation of our commitment to tea education, from its production to its enjoyment. We want to see human possibilities bloom as we release the full potential of the magical tea plant. Departures Magazine came along to document this immersive experience; you can read their article here. We are still working on bringing the digital version of this class to you on Tea Drunk Academy and hope next year you can experience the magic of tea-making wherever you are!
With China still closed this past spring tea season, the world’s most important tea region saw another year of labor shortages due to COVID-19 lockdowns. But, the tea farmers we partner with adapted with incredible grit and enthusiasm - extended families became the new picking squad, and they sacrificed many hours of sleep, proudly upholding the heritage of excellence that their teas for generations are known for. In 2022, we truly see the virtues of men being reflected in each cup of tea we sip.
While China’s major cities were still locked down, as a small business, we couldn’t escape the many challenges that interrupted the global supply chain, including our new tea rollout schedule. We thank you for sticking with us and understanding through it all. Every bud and leaf took a trying journey to get to us, and it’s all worth it! It’s the unwavering desire for the world’s best tea that we all share that makes this still an excellent year to celebrate!
Our mission is to bring you the teas made by the most skilled farmers from the most desired cultivars in the best terroir each vintage has to offer. We strive to sustain the pinnacle of tea humans have achieved thus far in history. Since all of our teas are single vintage, do not miss the opportunity to delight yourself and your loved ones with our new 2022 harvest teas. For those looking for teas to kick-start your 2023, we’ve curated a collection of some of our current favorite teas, Founder’s Favorites. Our team selected these teas and encompassed some of what we’ve been sipping on lately.
And the holiday party hasn’t ended just yet! Maybe because it’s the year of the rabbit, we are going to hop right into Lunar New Year in January! - we’re ready to keep the joyful spirit in full swing. Our limited-edition Year of the Rabbit Tea Sampleris already featured in Conde Nast Traveler as one of the best gifts to ring in a prosperous and abundant new year. AND, we are bringing back the Lucky Tea Box! Stay tuned.
We once again want to thank everyone for being on this journey with us. Maybe tea is the lucky charm that blessed us with curiosity, fascination, community, and deliciousness. We raise our cup of tea to wish you warmth, happiness, prosperity, and many more cups of tea next year and many years to come.
Thank you,
Shunan Teng & The Tea Drunk Team