LEAF
WATER
TEMPERATURE
TIME
STEP BY STEP
SOMMELIER NOTE
BREWING NOTES FROM THE TEA SOMMELIER
How tea becomes
a cup
Nine ways of brewing, explained through flavor rather than rules. Begin with the vessel you own, the time you have, or the kind of cup you want today.
A starting pointEvery tea behaves differently. The recipes below give you a reliable first cup, then show what to change when you want more sweetness, body, aroma or intensity.
CHOOSE BY THE MOMENT
No tea vocabulary required. Tell us what today looks like and the guide will offer one practical place to begin.
What kind of cup
fits right now?
01HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU HAVE?
02HOW DO YOU WANT TO DRINK IT?
03WHAT DO YOU HAVE NEARBY?
NINE WAYS TO BREW
Different vessels and tables produce different cups. Choose a method to open its full guide.
Nine methods.
No single correct one
THE OPEN GUIDE
Use this as a starting recipe, then follow the adjustment notes. Tea is more useful when you understand what to change.
One method,
step by step
MAKE THE RECIPE YOURS
Leaf, water temperature and time shape the cup together. Change one variable and taste what moved.
Three variables.
A different tea each time
TOOLS BY THE WAY YOU BREW
You do not need every vessel. One useful object, chosen for the tea you actually drink, is enough.
Start with the task,
not the collection
01
Gaiwans & gongfu pots
For repeated short infusions and a close look at how Chinese and Taiwanese teas change.
EXPLORE CEREMONY & GONGFU →02
Kyusu, hōhin & shiboridashi
For Japanese leaf tea, from a quick everyday sencha to slower low-temperature brewing.
EXPLORE JAPANESE TEAWARE →03
Matcha bowls & whisks
For a smooth suspension, comfortable whisking and a bowl that can also be the cup.
EXPLORE MATCHA TOOLS →04
Everyday pots & bottles
For British-style pots, cold brew, workday tea and the simplest repeatable routine.
EXPLORE EVERYDAY BREWING →ASK THE TEA SOMMELIER
Tell us the tea, the vessel and what happened in the cup. Bitter, thin, flat, too strong or simply unfamiliar are all useful places to begin.