Featured Tea Drinker: Kate Hesser

Name: Kate Hesser

Age: 42

Occupation: Higher Ed Fundraiser

Location: Vermont

Interests outside of tea: Knitting, yoga, baking, skiing

Favorite tea variety: Black Tea

Do you have any pets?: We have one airedale terrier, one rescue cat and 11 Khaki Campbell ducks

Favorite tea: It is a tie between Keemun and Laoshan black teas

How long have you been into tea? While I have always liked tea our love story began about five years ago.

What got your started with tea? It was a combination of my daughter’s interest, changes in my health and frequent trips to London.

How do you store your tea? It depends on the tea and the time of year. Right now all of my loose teas are in a sideboard cabinet in my dining room (away from the kitchen). I separate them by type in clear bins. In the summer I store matcha to the refrigerator because it gets too hot in my house and we have more compatible foods in there at that time of year. I also keep some tea bags of mostly herbal and medicinal varieties in a drawer under the kettles.

What is your favorite way to drink tea? Gongfu has become my favorite. As much as I love western style teapots, the calming, aromatic experience makes me reach for a Gaiwan more often.

Do you also drink coffee? No

What is the perfect setting for drinking tea? Around a table or by a fire with friends.

How many cups of tea do you drink in a day? On a typical day, 6-8, depending on the number of infusions.

Instagram handle: @teasandtime