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“Are you looking for a tea?” asks a kind-faced man with curly gray hair and glasses.
“I didn’t think I was,” I respond. “But I guess I am now.”
I’ve just wandered into
Sophie’s Cuppa Tea, a tea market and sipping spot on Antioch Court in Oakland's Montclair Village. I was, I admit, on my way to do some writing at the Peet’s down the street, when the red paper lanterns caught my attention through the window.
The man behind the counter — who I later find out is owner John Brown — offers to help me figure out what I’m after. Do I want more caffeine, less caffeine, no caffeine? Do I like floral, herbal, sweet, smoky, fruity, honey, or the pure taste of tea? I opt for something smoky and Brown delves further into my palate preferences.
“Can I ask if you're a scotch drinker and do you like the flavor of smoke in your scotch?” he poses.
I think about scotch and I smile.
“Yes,” I answer. "Unquestionably, yes." I am one of the more indecisive people that I know and there are precious few decisions that I make quickly. I am grateful for Brown's spot-on assistance.
"I think I'll start you off with the Smokey Pine," he offers.
"Sounds great," I say.
"I'll brew it strong if that's okay. Most smoky scotch drinkers tend to like the Smokey Pine strong."
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Smokey Pine is #23 on chalk board tea list behind a counter lined with tea pots. Roughly two dozen other teas are listed there. Many more fill two full-sized chalk boards on the walls around the shop. including Burnished Crown, Transcendent Rebirth, Wild Vine, and Golden Burst. The teas are divided into categories: green, red, white, yellow, black, herbal, floral, and wu long. All of them from China and there are no bags to be seen.
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Prior to opening the tea house in the middle 2014, Brown and business partner Xiaobei Wei spent five years building connections with farmers and studying tea in China. There is an art and a science to the way each is brewed. The sharp beep of a kitchen timer alerts when each cuppa is at its pique. There is no milk, honey, or sugar to be found. The teas don't need it, which makes things blissfully simple.
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Another customer comes in looking for something to sip on. Brown takes her through the same series of questions and helps her to make a selection. I want to feel a little less special, like there's a little less magic to my tea-time encounter, but to be honest I'm too busy enjoying my Smokey Pine.
Sophie's Cuppa Tea: 2078 Antioch Court, Oakland, 510-500-3404.
