Two Trees Tea House Brews up a Sensory Journey
With one sip of tea, you’re resting by a tranquil brook under the shade of a blossoming peach tree. With another, you step into a lively country teahouse, where the air is rich with the scent of steamed dumplings and the buzz of cheerful voices.
That’s what one might experience at the new Two Trees Tea House in Occidental’s south end of town, run by husband-and-husband team Adrian and Chris Lewis-Chang.
The new tea and wares mercantile provides high-quality and organic, ethically grown, and beautifully packaged herbal blends, loose-leaf tea thoughtfully sourced from around the world, and pre-loved teaware. The shop also serves as a welcoming community space where people of all backgrounds can gather and connect through the shared experience of tea. Though not a café, the tea house provides a warm and inviting space to share tea and conversation.
“We started Two Trees Tea House with the intention of sharing our love of tea—not only for the enjoyment of the drink but its ability to connect, soothe and heal,” Adrian says.
They hand-blend their own tea and herbal blends with herbs locally sourced from organic Sonoma County family farms. Their single origin teas are various in type: green, red, and black; origin: Nepal, Thailand, China, Columbia, India and more; and elevation, grown 700–7,600 feet above sea level. They are also varied in characteristics that the Lewis-Changs both refer to as “sense memories.”
“The personality of the tea as perceived by our senses and the story that personality weaves through the mind’s eye,” explains Chris.
The Lewis-Changs celebrate their blended Chinese-Welsh-American backgrounds and seasonal living through folk traditions of the hearth and home. “We both come from heritages for which tea is a defining touchstone of the culture,” says Chris. “There are few things as nuanced and comforting as hearing the British words, ‘I’ll get the kettle on.’”
Additionally, Two Trees Tea House’s farm partners reject the traditional structure of a colonial industry. Instead, the values-driven business models of their farm partners include village-owned tea growing collectives, educational scholarship programs for young girls, sanctuaries for outcast and abused women, and a tea partner with three generations of a matriarchy-led legacy.
“Our tea partner in Darjeeling has been matriarchy-run for three generations, which is significant as the tea industry is widely dominated by men,” says Adrian. “Their tea garden is also a wildlife conservation site and elephant sanctuary.”
The Two Trees Tea House currently offers community Tea Service, Tea Tastings, Workshops, and other events throughout the year, and the calendar is growing, so stay tuned for upcoming gatherings. Chris adds, “As with the food we cook, tea is but one star in a greater constellation of ideas that serves one fundamental purpose: to bring us all together.”
Two Trees Teahouse
twotreesteahouse.com
3597 Bohemian Hwy, Occidental
Open Monday, and Thursday-Saturday, 11am-5pm
Sunday, 12-5pm | Closed Tuesday and Wednesday