Steep Valley Tea

It would seem that I forgot to advertise this on the page! It's been on the Instagram for a little while, but I should get it up here!
I will be at Abeille Voyante Tea Co teaching an introduction class to the traditional Chinese style of tea service known as Gong Fu Cha.

There are 10 slots total, and they are available at https://steep-valley-tea.com/products/gong-fu-class-ticket for $20 (after tax, the price itself will be $18.69).

Introducing: Carson's Cuppa!

My husband Carson Michael Hollis drinks a cup of Earl Grey with breakfast every morning (sometimes instead of breakfast if he's in a rush 🤣). As a tea peddler, I couldn't stand the thought that I didn't have his favorite kind of tea. So I set out and found a source of bergamot peel and blended it with a nice Assam tea to produce a gong fu-able, rebrewable, Earl Grey clone for the Steep Valley Catalog.

It's had some time at some markets before it got put on the site, so go check it out!

(Oh, and Houjicha is also now on the online store, but I didn't invent that one for my husband.)

Seminary year two has begun, and that means its time to slow down my appearances a little bit.

I'm taking an overload at school this semester, so most of my focus will be on classes and service events, as opposed to vendor fairs. You'll still see me pop up occasionally at markets, but it will be a little while before you see me doing 3 markets per weekend again.

My last appearance at the Neighbors In New Castle market is this Saturday, so please come and stop by to support this wonderful market in an adorable town!

Brookline Pride is coming with an off-season Pride celebration that I am super excited for!

The I Made It! Market at the Waterfront is an event that I keep meaning to go to and then always having something scheduled over it, so I am excited to be part of it this month!

And I'll be doing a day of tea service during Millvale Days over at Abeille Voyante Tea Co, as well as running my introduction class there on the 26th! Tickets are available from the link in the comments!

Happy September!

Introduction to Gong Fu Cha went over wonderfully last night! We got to talk through a bunch of teas (we actually had to shift to an herbal because we were all getting so caffeinated), and everyone got to practice steeping and pouring teas!

I look forward to next week's class on Red Tea at The Soft Spot PGH ! There are still a few spots left, claim yours now! [Walk in tickets are available, but are on a first come, first serve basis!]

https://partiful.com/e/hZcaBeIzsqVar1aV5SNI?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAb21jcAToDuNwZG9mAmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDzU2NzA2NzM0MzM1MjQyNwABpyr6OxUtZRaLHB9fp8lvgxe4kE7LpPjef62Ia0N6_qlBSr36QBBHi5nkTiEq_aem_gsokYilXSygXDcD5t-NlFQ

For Abeille Voyante Tea Co's grand opening next week, I'll be in the community space serving tea gong fu-style for most of the day (except for my breaks so I can eat).

There's no reservations needed: if there's an open chair, you can pull up and have some tea and chill with the other people at the table! I'll keep you aware of how much tea you're drinking, and when you go to leave, you'll pay.

It will be a lovely little pop-up third space to enjoy, come on out!

Here's the current lineup for August! There are a few events which I have not recieved confirmation for yet that are not on this list, but will be announced as the are confirmed!

Im working with:
The Soft Spot PGH
Neighbors In New Castle
The Downtown Market of Kittanning
Abeille Voyante Tea Co
North Huntingdon Township Night Market

Two tea classes on offer in August at The Soft Spot PGH !

On the 10th, we've got an introduction to Gong Fu, like the previous class I held during LGBTea-Times in March, with an introduction to the techniques and history, with some hands-on brewing practice.

On the 17th, for those of you who already know about gong fu, or who are more interested in diving in with regards to tea styles and colors, I'll be holding "Discovering Red Teas": a class focused on 红茶 (hong cha) - Red Tea, called black tea in the US and Europe. (Please note, this class is not about rooibos.)

Both classes are $20 for 2 hours, and here are the event links:

Introduction to Gong Fu Cha:
https://partiful.com/e/ch6Dv4WC4CvsMxx20svl?c=pj5V1A-l
Discovering Red Teas:
https://partiful.com/e/hZcaBeIzsqVar1aV5SNI?c=Jua2i3Rw

You may notice a change in the packaging for the teas if you order or come by the pop up in the coming weeks. I changed suppliers for my packaging, and my 10g bags are ~☆just a little small☆~ for my labels.

I will be looking into smaller labels, or larger bags for my next order 🤣

For the 250th 4th of July, we have our first American tea, Carolina Sunrise!

Grown and processed in Mars Hill, North Carolina, this red tea has delightful notes of juicy raspberry under its bright, malty flavor.

It's not a common thing to grow tea in the US, and finding hand-picked tea is even more challenging!