Although living in London solidified tea’s prominent place in my life, my love affair with tea actually began during our time in Singapore. And I didn’t start with an English cuppa, but Chinese tea. So, I couldn’t wait to visit the Middle Kingdom and literally try all of the tea in China.
I was even more excited to discover that deep in a Beijing hutong, there exists Alice’s Tea House. Alice is a second level Tea Artist (and is preparing for her next level exam) who speaks excellent English and has a passion for tea and tea education. She has a small space dedicated to all things tea where she conducts tastings and sells tea and tea accoutrements. We spent more than two hours with her soaking in everything she could teach us about tea.
Alice greeted us with a smile on her face and welcomed all three of us to her table. I told her of my obsession with tea and I could see her eyes twinkle–kindred spirits. I was her student and she delighted to share her knowledge!
We tried a total of six teas from different parts of China that were fermented using different methods. Alice taught us how to properly conduct a Chinese tea ceremony (spoiler alert–it’s much more casual than its Japanese counterpart). She even smiled as a toddler dipped his pretzels in the tea to give it a taste.
Two hours later we were full of tea, our brains were swimming with new facts and steeping methods, and we had a Chinese tea set and tea leaves set to add to my collection. Alice IN NO WAY pressured us to buy anything. We were so enchanted with all that she taught us, we wanted to bring the experience back home.
If you love tea and are in Beijing, go see Alice. If you are in Beijing and you think you might like tea, go see Alice. Alice’s Tea House will be a required stop on all of our future visits!
Good to Know:
Address: No.81 TieShu Xie Street, XuanWu District, Beijing
Closest Subway: Hufangqiao
Hours: Sunday-Saturday; 9am-9pm
Cost: RMB50 for the tasting, tea/tea accessories priced accordingly
Dress Code: Casual
Reservations: You can walk in, but call ahead to ensure she has availability!
Kid Friendly: Depends on the child. My two-year-old played happily on a tablet and even tasted some tea! Be advised, there are lots of breakable tea pots around the shop…
Insider Info: Alice is extremely knowledgable and will share her knowledge with anyone who shows interest…ask her TONS of questions!
