Beyond the Leaf

Welcome to Beyond the Leaf, the TeaSource blog.

Tea is more than a beverage—it's a story of people, places, tradition, and craftsmanship. Here you'll find tea education, thoughtful discussion, steeping guides, recipes, tasting notes, tea travel, sourcing stories, industry insights, and updates from the TeaSource team.

Whether you're just beginning your loose leaf tea journey or have been enjoying specialty tea for years, Beyond the Leaf is a place to deepen your knowledge, discover new teas, and explore the world behind every cup. Drawing on decades of experience sourcing and tasting exceptional teas, we share practical advice, firsthand experiences, and a passion for tea that we hope inspires your next cup.

All 🌱 Tea Basics 🧪 Tea Geek 🍵 Tea Reviews 🥣 Recipes 🌏 Travel 🏭 Behind the Scenes 📰 News & Updates
Tea Masters: Ceylon Connections

One of the great perks of my job is working with people who know a lot more than I do. On June 19th we presented the latest in the TeaSource... Read More

Earl Grey. Hopped.

Summit Brewing Company of St Paul called us to talk about a new beer they wanted to try brewing. Brewer Nick Hempfer, Star Trek nerd, wanted to try brewing an... Read More

The Tea Geek Road: What a Long, Strange, Trip It’s Been

We are pretty comfortable being called tea geeks. I’ve been serious about tea for around 35 years and TeaSource is nearing its twentieth birthday. We recently spent a week at... Read More

Being Humbled

I actually like the experience of being humbled (this probably has to do with being raised Catholic) especially when this experience results from working with someone who knows a lot... Read More

Arrival of 1st 2015 tea, and it’s incredible !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Spring produces the highest grade and most sought after white teas; but what about a spring INDIAN white tea? We have the first 2015 Indian white tea and it might... Read More

Tea Masters Series II: Tasting Darjeeling

TeaSource is proud to sponsor the TEA MASTERS series. TeaSource will host world renowned tea growers, tea brokers, tea tasters, and tea authorities as part of this ongoing series. We... Read More

We’re Drowning in New Teas

This is the time of year when our big shipments of teas arrive by sea from China, India, and Sri Lanka. Remember, tea is an agricultural crop and, for the... Read More

Hanging out with a Rock Star!

Shop Ms. Zhang's tea collection HERE. I don’t think of myself as a tea master, I’m just a long-time student of tea. But I get to hang out with tea... Read More

Geeking Out: CONvergence

CON was very fun this year, lots of good costumes, theme rooms, and theme cocktails! TeaSource provided tea for the convention and I gave a Geek Tea Presentation. We had... Read More

Talk with a Tea Master

We, at TeaSource, are thrilled to have Ms. Zhang Liumei, one of the founders of Yiqingyuan and one of our great resources in China, in Minneapolis this week.  Ms. Zhang... Read More

Afternoon Tea

Spring feels like the perfect time of year to host afternoon tea. The temperatures have risen, the sun shines brighter, gardens and flowers are in bloom, and homes have undergone... Read More

Travels in Tea: India, Part 4 - Livestream Broadcast

“I’ve never heard of that kind of tea before.” Bill Waddington     Milk tea being made at the Rohini Estate, Darjeeling, India. It’s not very often that I say... Read More

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