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Tea: Portland’s Other Hot Brewing Scene
Famous for coffee and beer, Portland's tea scene also deserves recognition.
John Patrick Pullen
While Portland is renowned for pioneering craft brews, it should also be known for hoisting mugs of another sort; specifically, ones filled with locally steeped tea.
The local tea revolution reaches back to 1972 when Stash Tea Company steeped its first bag at its headquarters in an old Portland Victorian home.
The local tea revolution reaches back to 1972, when Stash Tea Company steeped its first bag at its headquarters in an old Portland Victorian home. The company has since moved to Tigard, a suburb southwest of Portland.
The late Steven Smith, one of Stash’s founders, went on to create Tazo Tea in Portland in 1994 (the brand is now owned by Starbucks). He followed up Tazo’s success with his eponymous brand Steven Smith Teamaker, founded in 2009. There, tea curators blend and pack teas and botanicals in tiny batches grown in the world’s best producing regions. Their unique, artisanal and highly curated range of products can be credited with starting the tea renaissance in Portland, giving locals a taste of the best ingredients steeped without any shortcuts. Their blends are available all over the city, including the company’s Central Eastside location.
Visitors to their shops can sample a tasting flight of different teas, choosing their favorite from the wide variety of blends. (Try their “Portland Breakfast” blend: a black tea with notes of malt, leather, spice and peat). At their Northwest Portland cafe, Smith Teamaker infuses tea into vegetarian dishes, like the White Petal rainbow carrot barley bowl and jams made with local fruit and Lord Bergamot.
Loose-leaf cafes also pour it on in Portland, serving tea from bubble to bagged. Portal Tea Company has two locations; the shop on Northwest 23rd Avenue features comfy couches, games, books, and a covered balcony. You enter the Sellwood location through a retired train caboose; an airy outdoor garden and 15 different chai blends make it a must-sip. The woman-owned Tea Bar serves up matcha lattes, boba tea and milk tea in a modern, sleek café.
Lastly, but certainly not the least, The Tao of Tea sells and serves organic teas at its original location on SE Belmont Street — going strong since 1997. With this many options, Portland surely has your cup of tea.
Drinks to Sip
Sample the best beverages Portland can offer.
Boba Tea in Portland
From tapioca pearls and popping boba to cheese foam and jelly, boba tea in Portland is a big hit. Here’s how to find your new favorite drink in the Rose City.
Portland Coffee
Portland’s passion for fine ingredients and careful craft extends into coffee cups — our guide to the Portland coffee scene will help you find must-try independent roasters and cozy, locally owned coffee shops.
Chai in Portland
This guide to Portland chai includes an abundance of house-brewed local brick-and-mortar options and those carrying Portland-made chai blends and concentrates.
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