The Ten Virtues of Tea

Tea has the blessing of all deities

Tea promotes filial piety

Tea drives away all evil spirits

Tea banishes drowsiness

Tea keeps the five internal organs in harmony

Tea wards off disease

Tea strengthens friendship

Tea disciplines body and mind

Tea destroys the passions

Tea grants a peaceful death

— Attributed to Japanese Buddhist priest Myôe (1173–1232), who had the words inscribed on a tea kettle.
Source: Fowler Museum at UCLA Curriculum. Steeped in History: The Art of Tea

When late 12th century Japanese Buddhist priest Myôe inscribed onto a tea kettle his poetic list of the ten virtues of tea, he did not mention taste.

Treecup Tea, a three-year-old small-batch bottled tea company in Evans City, does not neglect flavor in its outlook on tea. In fact, tasting good is its first principle.  Its second is doing good, as revealed by the company’s motto, “Buy a tea, plant a tree.” With every tea that Treecup sells, it plants a tree in the deforested Artibonite region of Haiti. That promise keeps founder and CEO Mark Sotomayor motivated to grow the company.

Treecup’s flavor library began with Peruvian Chai, an aromatic black tea brewed with cinnamon, cloves and anise originated by his grandmother.  A taste of this chilled tea unfolds beautifully across the tongue, with the glow of cloves remaining for a while on the palate. 

Other flavors include Lumberjack Black, made from Nilgiri black tea from Southern India and juniper berries and cedar needles from Oregon – which makes a drink that is intriguingly sturdy and subtle at the same time. We downed this one straight out the bottle on a hot day, and it was as bracing and refreshing as a cold beer.

Gyokuro Matcha blends shade grown Japanese green Gyokuro with ceremonial-grade matcha powder. A pinch of organic loose-leaf stevia leaves added during the brewing adds a natural sweetness. Treecup strikes a gorgeous balance between the earthy matcha, the pleasant tannins of Gyokuro, and the sugary effect of stevia.

The delicacy and clarity of these and other Treecup flavors is maintained consistently thanks to Treecup’s small scale approach. All of the teas are brewed in three-gallon pots in a commercial kitchen in Evans City. Each batch is cooled and bottled by hand. Deliveries are made quickly to Soergel Orchards, Black Cat Market, My Goodness, and Western Pennsylvania’s three Whole Foods locations. 

TABLE Magazine readers can order variety six-packs online at Treecup.