By JoAnne Laffey Abed
Whether you’re stressed, feeling under the weather, or in need of an energy boost, is there anything more comforting than a cup of tea? While mothers and grandmothers have extolled the virtues of tea as a cure-all for generations, today’s tea shops and tea houses offer great variety and options that make this old staple new and fun for everyone.
The Surcee team has pulled together a list of some of our favorite local places to get this magical elixir in all its forms and to find the accessories you need to become a real tea aficionado.
Conveniently located right along the Reedy River, O-Cha has a seemingly endless variety of bubble teas and snowcreams – flavored milk teas served semi-frozen- and well as high-quality loose leaf teas that can be made to order on-site or taken home.
This Mother and daughter owned and operated tea bar and gift shop specializes in sustainable, ethically sourced premium loose leaf tea, brewed loose leaf tea, bubble tea, chai tea, and tea gifts.
It’s always tea time!
If you’re into natural healing and herbal supplements designed to help you renew and revive, Joi is the place for you. The tea bar offers natural teas, tonics, and elixirs designed to address issues like PMS to joint health and better sleep to digestion, and their trained herbalists offer free consultations.
For a late night tea fix, visit The Kava Konnection. With beverages ranging from kava, prepared in traditional South Pacific methods, to tasty kava based mocktails, nitro coffee, and, therapeutic herbal teas, Kava Konnection is South Carolina’s only kava bar and one of the few non-alcoholic late night social establishments in the Upstate.
This Asian-inspired tea house offers bubble tea, matcha, milk team, and more traditional steeped tea options
A little farther afield in Pelzer, this adorable tea shop offers traditional afternoon high tea by reservation on Saturdays and Sundays, complete with finger sandwiches, mini quiches, pastries, clotted cream, and scones.
Whether it’s tea for two, tea for you, or tea for a crowd, you’ve got great local options. For the record, we agree with the Mad Hatter: “It’s always tea time!”
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