TeaForum.org

I've been drinking loose leaf tea for 10 years or so, and I would like to be more involved with tea...beyond drinking it!

One idea I had was to organize a tea gathering. The problem is I don't know anyone who enjoys tea the way I do. For example, at work I often have Sencha that I brew in my 120ml clay kyusu...and although I get a lot of interest from those in my office (they want to know more about the 'cute' teapot, no one has wanted to try the tea or go beyond a basic "water cooler" discussion). But that got me thinking, I love talking tea and enjoy explaining the differences with bag tea, or the difference between japanese and chinese green teas, oolong, teaware, etc. So I would love to sit down with 1, maybe up to 3 people having a tea session. I've read here that these occur now and then with members. I live an hour outside Toronto, with some large suburbs within a 20 minute drive of my house. But I'm not sure how to put the word out there, or if I'm even comfortable doing so (meeting complete strangers to talk and taste tea).

I welcome your suggestions, or perhaps related ideas that deepen my connection to tea.

Have you been to the Toronto tea festival? I wonder if that might be a good place to meet other local tea folks.

If you prefer to start with friends you already know, perhaps a more casual dessert and tea gathering where you introduce your friends an interesting tea that pairs well with the dessert of the day, and slowly pique their interest that way?

I have hosted tea gathering with friends with varying degrees of interest in tea. Sometimes, they ask more about the tea, and sometimes the conversation would be completely non tea-related. Another activity that a lot of people (serious tea drinkers or not) may find interesting is blind tasting different versions of the same kind of tea. I usually pick ones whose differences are easily detectable. (For example, koicha-grade matcha vs usucha grade vs shincha—all served as usucha). Most casual tea drinkers don’t have the opportunities to sample different matchas all at once—it was fun to hear their comments

Meetup.com is also another great way to get started with something like that--either by looking for a tea group in your area, or if there isn't one, starting yourself.

hopeofdawn wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 11, 2019 8:18 am

Meetup.com is also another great way to get started with something like that--either by looking for a tea group in your area, or if there isn't one, starting yourself.

Check out the New York Tea Society... we usually meet at least once a week.

Shine Magical wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 11, 2019 8:54 am

hopeofdawn wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 11, 2019 8:18 am

Meetup.com is also another great way to get started with something like that--either by looking for a tea group in your area, or if there isn't one, starting yourself.

Check out the New York Tea Society... we usually meet at least once a week.

Bit of a drive from Toronto

But I’m actually in Manhattan in two weeks for a couple days. If anyone wants to meet at a tea shop let me know!