Expert Advice: Sebastian Beckwith on How to Brew a Good Cup of Tea (Again and Again)

[Michie]

Now that the nights have drawn in and we find ourselves drinking endless cups of tea, it’s worth noting that a good brew represents the essence of the plant, rather than mechanically chopped tea “dust.” As a beverage, it is best enjoyed in bud, leaf, or twig form, when hot water brings new life to a recently plucked plant (Camellia sinensis). Some tea develops over several infusions, once you become aware of the potential of what you are drinking. Curious to know how to sustain tea happiness beyond the first cup, we spent some time up a mountain in Connecticut with Sebastian Beckwith, merchant of the leaf and founder of In Pursuit of Tea.

For people who want to drink tea all day, for instance the British (or in the case of ice tea—Americans), there is no need to resort to fruit teas. In his very engaging A Little Tea Book, Sebastian addresses the question of caffeine. Yes, tea plants have more caffeine in their leaves than coffee beans. However, a lot less tea is used than coffee by weight per serving, so a cup of tea has about half the amount of caffeine than coffee. And for experiencing flavor, small cups are preferable.

Continued below.

Expert Advice: Sebastian Beckwith on How to Brew a Good Cup of Tea (Again and Again) - Gardenista

Now that the nights have drawn in and we find ourselves drinking endless cups of tea, it's worth noting that a good brew represents the essence of the plan

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