We’ve struggled with tea since day 1. How to do tea?

I love tea. And I know that despite being the most popular beverage in the world, folks just don’t drink a lot of tea in the US. At first I thought it was an issue of education, or appreciation. But now I think it’s because tea is awful. OK, I’d use stronger language, but we try to keep this family friendly.

First, when you order tea out it feels like a $0.05 sack in a cup of hot water. I know soda and coffee have the same margins (not the way we do it, but for most places), but there is something unsatisfying about a cup of hot water with a bag floating.

Second, that bag is problematic. What do you do with it? It’s wet, it drips. Some have told us we should do what fancy places do, serving “loose leaf” tea in sacks. I don’t know if you’ve ever gotten one of these, but they drip all down the side of the cup. Even worse than the Lipton sacks.

Third, how are you ever going to brew the tea properly? 3 things matter to good tea: (a) temperature of water, (b) ratio of water to tea, (c) brew time. That cup of hot water with a tea sack floating in it? It’s probably not the right temperature, the ratio is likely off, and how on earth are you going to know when it’s hit the proper brew time?

I think we have a solution. This week we’re going to explore a better tea. You’re going to have some of the best tea in your life. You may actually love it. Come on Boston, let’s drink tea!