I stopped drinking alcohol back when Emma and I found out we’re expecting a baby—partly to detox but mostly out of solidarity. Since then, I’ve been learning more about and drinking plenty of loose leaf tea, which many people prefer over bagged tea for its variety, quality and freshness.

A while ago, I ordered the Black, White and Herbal loose-leaf tea samplers from Adagio. These inexpensive sets are a wonderful introduction to their wide range of teas and tisanes from around the world. They also include a nice little guide book which got me up to date on the history, terms, variations and methods of all things loose leaf. I’ve found Teavana and Twinings to be two other great sources for traditional to contemporary teas.

For preparation, I boil water in an electric kettle and brew using either a mesh spoon infuser, Assam tea press tea pot from Bodum , a Japanese Cast Iron Tea Pot or Perfect Tea Maker from Teavana.

In addition, I enjoyed reading The Book of Tea by Kakuzo Okakura , The Classic of Tea by Yu Lu and A History of the World in Six Glasses by Tom Standage for insight into the tradition and meaning of tea. Cheers,