April 24, 2012
Our new friend Caitlin Junkin and her companion stopped by the Teaworks last Thursday. Looking for an after-lunch treat, the pair ordered one of our tea sampling flights, with an appertif of our latest creation Bon Bon. It was an honor to hear praise from a sommelier on how much fun the tasting was, and we hope to see her again soon.
The light was beautiful that afternoon, and its reflected in Caitlin’s wonderful photos. To see all her great shots, as well as amazing images from her food-focused travels, stop by her blog at http://www.caitlinjunkin.com/.
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April 12, 2012
The Atlanta based magazine “Points North” recently featured Smith Teamakers in their April issue. Crediting Portland as “a city with a passionate sense of place”, their Postcards from Portland article featured local treasures like Two Tarts bakery, Urban Farmer restaurant, and Smith Teamaker. Writer Heather Brown particularly liked #24 Big Hibiscus and #39 Fez. With summer around the corner, these two flavors will make excellent iced teas to ward off that hot Atlanta weather. Click on the image below to read the whole article.
Postcard from Portland, North Points Magazine.
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February 23, 2012
Photo courtesy of Kathy YL Chan
Kathy YL Chan nearly had a crisis. Down to her last few packets of tea, she had nearly depleted her 5th Smith variety pack! Lucky for her, The Tea and Honey store in New York has got her covered until she has a chance to visit us here in Portland. Kathy enjoys the No.18 Bramin with sliced ginger and a touch of Chinese brown sugar. Certainly those chilly Manhattan mornings are made a bit easier with a nice heavy cup of black tea brewed with a bit of sweet and spice.
For all of us not living in The Big Apple, you can order the Smith Variety directly from us here, or by coming down to our brick-and-mortar location. Make sure to visit Kathy’s blog and take a look at all her fabulous pictures, and remind her to stay well stoked up on her tea!
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February 15, 2012
Image courtesy of Eden Hensley Silverstein
Eden over at Recipes for the Good Life talked about our tea in one of her “What I Crave” posts. She mentions that the No.45 Peppermint was a particular favorite while she was pregnant since it does not have any caffeine (which also makes it a great bedtime tea). Our tea originally came to her as a gift from local wedding jeweler Gem Kitty, who wrapped a pair of our tip-top boxes in a beautiful black ribbon. She now sends her sister-in-law down to the teashop to pick up more for her whenever she runs low, though she could always call us and have it shipped right to her door (though I suspect the sister-in-law comes in for a few boxes for herself as well).
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January 26, 2012
Photo by David Johnson
Our very own Steve Smith was featured on the cover of this month’s Entrepreneur magazine. The story of Steve’s history in the tea world is recounted in an article entitled “The Brewsmith”. The feature chronicles Steve’s accomplishments in the tea industry, a journey that began nearly 40 years ago in the peppermint fields of Oregon. Editor-in-Chief Amy Cosper compares Steve to Richard Branson or Bill Gates stating “these are the innovators who capture zeitgeist and turn it into an unforgettable experience”.
The article is not just about the man who founded the company; the tea also shares in the spotlight. Author Bruce Schoenfeld compares the Smith teabags to “gorgeous miniature pieces of art”. Our No. 39 Fez makes an appearance on page 33 in its red-carpet ready string-tie box.
The magazine is available at newsstand now, and online here. Alternatively, come on down to the tearoom and read our copy over a cup of one entrepreneur’s dreams.
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December 26, 2011
![[CREATING]](http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/RV-AF421_CREATI_DV_20111223012203.jpg)
Corey Arnold for The Wall Street JournalSTEVEN SMITH at his tea salon, Steven Smith Teamaker, in Portland, Ore.
Thomas Twining. Thomas Lipton. The Bigelows. And Steven Smith?
Hardly a household name, Mr. Smith is one of the biggest players in modern tea history, holding a key role in what’s been a renaissance in the U.S., with tea sales soaring to about $7 billion this past year from less than $1 billion in 1990. He’s responsible for many of the original blends for two top-shelf brands: Stash, now owned by the Japanese company Yamamotoyama; and Tazo, which Starbucks bought in 1999. His own company, Steven Smith Teamaker, sells small-batch teas in restaurants and stores like Williams-Sonoma, Zabar’s and even Eddie Bauer.
Quality leaves are essential to good tea, but so too are the expertise and imagination of the person creating the blends, said tea-expert James Norwood Pratt, author of the definitive “Tea Dictionary.” “In no generation in the past 5,000 years have we had more than a few people like Steven Smith. He makes astonishingly good blends,” Mr. Pratt said.
(more…)
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November 3, 2011
The following post is part of TriplePundit’s coverage of the 2011 Net Impact Conference in Portland, Oregon. To read the rest of our coverage, click here.
By Ingrid Velmonte
I just returned to DC from Portland, OR, where I attended the2011 Net Impact Conference. It was my first visit to the Pacific Northwest, and I was enchanted by the city right away. Everywhere I happened to eat had delicious food, public transportation was easy to use and my hotel had recycling bins in the guest rooms, as well as complimentary Stumptown coffee in the lobby. One of the cool things about the conference was its focus on the host city, from having Congressman Earl Blumenauer welcome everyone on Friday morning to offering tours of local businesses, to design-thinking workshops geared toward addressing Portland-based companies’ and nonprofits’ sustainability challenges.
A very interesting conference panel featured an important industry in the Pacific Northwest region: beverages. “Coffee, Tea, Wine & Beer: Sustainability in the Pacific Northwest Beverage Industry” had key representatives of each drink choice:
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August 4, 2011
Bits and Bites: News you can eat and drink. Smith Teamakers were featured in Wall Street Journal. Read More
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July 1, 2011
Steve recently had the pleasure of hosting Heidi Protto from Koin Studio 6 at the Teaworks.
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May 24, 2011
Steven Smith Teamaker is mentioned in the latest Hemispheres Magazine in their food & drink category titled STEEP ASCENT.
After founding (and selling) big-label teas Stash and Tazo, Portland’s Steven Smith has a go at small-batch blends.
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