Cascadia Autumn Steep 'n Sip 2025

On November 1st I attended the Autumn Steep 'n Sip, a virtual event presented by Cascadia Tea Festival where tea enthusiasts had the opportunity to gather for tea and conversation from the comfort of their own homes.

While attendees could drink anything they preferred during the Steep 'n Sip, an optional festival-in-a-box was available for purchase before the event.  The box included a nice selection of teas from local businesses as well as an adorable and seasonally appropriate frog and pumpkin tea pet.  

Cascadia Tea Festival co-founder Jessica Campbell was the host, making introductions and keeping the conversation lively.

Glen Bowers (Crimson Lotus) introduced us to Shou Girls, a 2025 shou puerh included in the tea box, and shared his recipe for single-serve "Shousala Chai.  Fill a mug with water and pour that into a pan with 2.5+ grams of shou puerh, cardamom, cinnamon, a few cloves, and sliced or crushed ginger. Heat on high until it's boiled down about halfway, fill the mug halfway with whole milk and pour into the pot and bring it back to a boil, watching closely.  When it's close to boiling over, remove from heat, pour through a strainer into the mug, and enjoy!

Thuy (Tea J Tea) chatted with us while we enjoyed Korean Roasted Corn (Popcorn) Tea with butter cookies from the tea box.  Tea J Tea's original business model is focused on tea and pastry pairings and I can confirm that their pairings are always on point.  After attending World Tea Expo and finding no Vietnamese tea representation, they were inspired to visit tea farms in Viet Nam which lead to the development of their Vietnamese Flower Garden Collection.  Thuy recommends brewing Vietnamese tea short as it can get bitter quickly and highly recommended Vietnamese Ya Bao (wild bud tea) which is picked between December and March.

Laurie Dawson (Whatcom Tea) introduced us to a very unique and honestly delightful method of preparing gongfu-style rose-infused tea.  Place the strainer over the cha hai (fairness pitcher), add a few rose buds to the strainer, and pour the tea into the pitcher.  The resulting aroma and flavor were very pleasant without overpowering the puerh.

This was a great opportunity to relax, sip tea, and spend time with other tea people and I look forward to similar future events.  

Be sure to check the official Cascadia Tea Festival website regularly for upcoming events, including a Virtual Tea Festival in May!