In a city with a thriving beverage culture—from craft cocktails and boutique coffee to locally brewed ales—a tea shop is a perfect fit. Zhi Tea was opened five years ago, and has since become the tea of choice for local restaurants, shops, and tea enthusiasts. The shop is serene and inviting, with a few tables and comfortable couches where customers can enjoy a pot of tea and locally sourced snacks. The back wall is lined with cans and bags of tea available for purchase, and just through another door is the company’s small blending and packaging area, where the tea is made ready for purchase at local restaurants and shops. Staff members are eager to dole out samples of any tea, and to discuss steeping options, flavor components, and tea history. Owner Jeffrey Lorien has applied a unique set of values to his purchases and practices—he is proud to focus on organic practices, quality ingredients, and creativity in flavors. All teas are sourced from organic, fair-trade farms and are imported in their unadulterated state. They are sold in their pure form as well as blended with herbs, flowers, and other teas to create unique flavors like Cherry Sencha, Coconut Chai, and the popular Sweet Desert Delight, a blend of rooibos, coconut, cacao, anise, cinnamon, safflowers, and stevia leaf. The shop does its part in spreading the word about the benefits of sustainably sourced tea as well as the pleasure of tasting new flavors from around the world.
