Tea Blog

Imbibe, the national magazine and website of liquid culture, revealed its annual regional issue in March. This year, The Texas Issue was released to celebrate speciality beverages of all kind across the state. From small-batch whiskeys to cocktails, beer, wine and coffee, Imbibe chose our beloved Lone Star state to highlight craftsmanship of all kinds.

“We’ve had our eye on the Texas scene for quite some time,” says Karen Foley, Imbibe’s founder and publisher. “There’s so much happening across the entire state when it comes to drinks. It was time to take Imbibe to Texas.”

We were honored to see our Raspberry Rooibos named one of their favorite things. Have you had this signature blend yet? Made by hand in small batches using organic Texan pecans, we strongly recommend this deep, nutty red tea.

Congratulations to all our neighbors, including our friends at Drink.Well, Southside Espresso, Hillside Farmacy, Coterie Market and the Alamo Drafthouse (all of which also serve Zhi Tea!)

The Texas Issue will be on newsstands from March 1 until April 30. The issue is also available for purchase at imbibemagazine.com/shop. You can also follow @imbibe and #ImbibeTexas.

Did you know there are over 1,500 tea varieties?

Choosing what teas to share with our customers is not an easy task.

Plus, each type of tea often has several varieties within its own category. For example, there are countless sources and grades of Jasmine Green. To find the perfect tea of every type, Zhi cups numerous samples from different tea farms to bring you only the very best.

Currently, we’re truly in love with a rare yellow tipped black tea, Royal Gold.  These velvety, copper leaves yield a sweet ruby cup with notes of tobacco and honeysuckle. If you’re looking for a new black tea to enjoy, we strongly suggest this unique flavor.

While we often boast of our growers’ talents, we love when others do too. Here is a review from one of our favorite tea websites, SororiteaSisters, where they share their experience with Zhi’s Royal Gold. They give it rave review and we hope you do too!

*Don’t forget! You can review every Zhi tea you try on our website and Steepster.com

Hello, tea lovers!

Dr. Oolong here, writing to you while steeping a cup of one of our new teas: Stenthal Darjeeling.

As you know, Zhi hasn’t carried Darjeeling for a few years. While a very popular tea, we just never came across an organic one that had lived up to the hype. Happily, this one does, and it is priced right too! This true Darjeeling has the pleasant, smooth complexity that we were looking for, while also boasting muscatel undertones. There’s a faint hint of astringency, but just enough to pull the cup’s complexity together. We trust you’ll love it as much as we do Quantities limited: enjoy while you can!

Speaking of exquisite, rare teas, winter oolongs are in! This year’s harvest will prove to be one of the most delightful, and we invite you to enjoy the small artisan batches of Zhi’s direct sourced Frozen Summit Tung Ting, Jade Oolong, Golden Lily and Four Season varieties. Be sure to extract your multiple steepings as these very patient leaves are really expressing themselves over multiple infusions.

Next month, I will be traveling to Yunnan, China to visit the ancient tea trees and drink pu’erh. I’ll be sure to tweet and sent pictures via Instagram so follow us today @zhitea. We will be carrying even more amazing pu’erh options soon, in addition to our outstanding ripe, loose leaf version that you know and love.

Well, my tea is ready! Gotta go. Until next time,

Dr. Oolong

Show your sweet side by sharing a batch of this pretty pink tea. A romantic adaptation of the popular Arnold Palmer, this punch is ease and elegance.

For a spark of energy at the start of February, we whipped up a pot of our newly invented brew that we’re calling High Kick. This mix of  Zhi Tea’s yerba mate and ginger and lime green rooibos offers grassy notes and intensity from the yerba that complement the bold, bright and citrusy rooibos, resulting in a refreshing beverage. 

Although we tried our concoction piping hot, we think it’d be just as delicious iced for the summer months. Try it straight or add a dash of agave nectar for a sweeter treat. Either way, we’re confident this Monday Mashup will entice your senses and delight your tastebuds.

Get in the mood! Let Zhi guide your heart and your taste buds at our upcoming Valentine Tea & Chocolate Pairing.

Together, we’ll explore the relationships between two great loves: tea and chocolate at the Zhi Tea Gallery, where we’ll present four decadent courses. We’ll consider their qualities, their complements, their contrasts, and how they pair with each other.

Each coupling has romantic potential, but what pair will steal your heart?

For your tasting pleasure, Zhi is proud to partner with the culinary wizards at The Chocolate Makers Studio. This talented chocolatier is new to Austin, and you’ll be delighted with their work. You’ll also receive a special event discount for 10% off all teas in the Gallery, plus a teaZer-sized sample to take home ($4 value). Seating limited! Please RSVP today.

Sat, Feb 9.
5 pm- 6:30 pm.
$25 a person; $40 a pair.

To RSVP:
-In person at the Zhi Gallery (cash/check/cc)
-Over the phone via credit card (512.539.0717)
-Or by PayPal to jeffrey@zhitea.com

Questions? email info@zhitea.com