2015 Holiday Gift Guide

MerryChristmas

I usually put together some sort of gift guide around Christmas time.This year I thought that I would do it up big, in the usual style of myquarterly journal. Even though there are a ton of things that I loveincluded here, it was really tough narrowing the list down. As always,please let me know what you think. I'd love to hear from you.

Wishing my fellow tea lovers a wonderful holiday season! May youall find something wonderful under the tree from Santa this year. :)

Nicole MartinTea for Me Please

Ways to Brew1. Glass Infuser Mug - American Tea RoomIt can't get much easier than this. The glass is fairly sturdy (I haven't broken mine yet) and itbeautifully shows off the color of your tea.americantearoom.com

2. Black Porcelain Gaiwan - T ShopThis gaiwan is downright sexy. It's quickly become one of my favorites.tshopny.com

3. Legendary Beauty Green Yixing - Mandala TeaBuying yixing can be scary but this a great starter pot. I dedicated mine to raw puerh and it hasseasoned wonderfully.mandalatea.com

4. Breville One-Touch Tea Maker - Breville USAThe legend! Seriously though, these things are super fancy and they make a great cup of tea.brevilleusa.com

Read All About It1. Tea: History, Terroirs and Varieties by Kevin Gascoyne, Francois Marchand and JasminDesharnaisThis is the first book that I recommend to people who want to learn about tea. It's beautifulenough to be a coffee table book while offering a really thorough education.

2. The Tea Book by Linda GaylardThe Tea Book is an excellent primer on tea, especially for those that are just starting out. It alsohappens to be written by one of my favorite fellow tea bloggers.

3. Modern Tea by Lisa Boalt RichardsonUntil recently books on tea were a bit stuffy. This is one of the first to take a fresher, moremodern approach. It's not dumbed-down at all but beginners won't find it intimidating.

4. Puer Tea: Ancient Caravans and Urban Chic by Jinghong ZhangFor the truly nerdy, this book is the best bet. It tells the fascinating story of the Chinese puerhindustry including the hows and whys of the market crash.

Handmade1. Rumi's Teacup Art CardArtist Stephanie Sayres does wonderful teaware illustrations. The postcards are great for framingor for mailing to a friend.etsy.com/shop/sayresillustration

2. Orange Creamsicle OwlFellow tea blogger Charissa of Oolong Owl fame makes the most adorable tea owls that you'veever seen.etsy.com/shop/AwkwardSoul

3. YunomiOne of my favorite Etsy artisans is a potter who makes teaware using local clay from the theDingle Peninsula in Ireland.etsy.com/shop/ArtistDavidHolden

4. Tea JeweleryAnn Mierisch designs beautifyl tea jewlery by capturing tea leaves in resin.etsy.com/shop/DeutschefotoDesigns

Sweet Indulgence1. Matcha Sweets Gift SetWho doesn't love green tea Kit Kats and other sweet treats? This gift set includes 4 to 6 matchasweets sold in Japanyunomi.life

2. Mizuba Matcha + Alma ChocolatePortland based Mizuba Matcha teamed up with Alma Chocolate to make this festive anddelicious matcha bark.mizubatea.com

3. Super Kawaii Mini-Mini Heart Sugar SamplerI don't sweeten my tea but when I do, I figure why not do it with style? These handmade sugarsare absolutely delicious.chambredesucre.com

For the Tech ObsessedTeforia InfuserBeing a tea drinker takes commitment. For those that are tech obsessed, I couldn't think of amore perfect gift than the Teforia Infuser. It utilizes a proprietary Selective Infusion Process (“SIP”)along with eco-conscious packaging to completely change the way that we approach home teabrewing. It is operated using a companion app that gives users complete control over the teathat ends up in their cup.Teforia is available on pre-order for $699. The price will go up to $1,299after those first 500 units are sold.

teforia.com

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