A tea friend of mine was visiting, and the timing couldn’t have been better because it was a few days after the grand opening of The Collective Brew in Jersey City, NJ. This cafe is a new project from Nepal Tea Collective. I couldn’t be more excited to have a real tea place nearby finally. In this post, I’ll share all about my wonderful first visit.
About The Collective Brew
The Collective Brew is located in the Paulus Hook neighborhood of Jersey City, just a few blocks away from the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway. They offer hot and iced teas, coffee, and Himalayan dumplings called momo. Loose-Leaf teas are also available for purchase. Nepal Tea Collective has seven tea bars in Nepal, but this is their first brick-and-mortar venture in the United States.
Address: 198 Van Vorst St
Jersey City, NJ 07302
Hours: 7:00 am-6:00 pm Monday-Friday
8:00 am-6:00 pm Saturday and Sunday
Website: https://maps.app.goo.gl/r1KRCYPpJVjAVfom8
Specialty: Nepalese tea
The weather outside was cold and gloomy, but the inside of The Collective Brew was warm and inviting. The shelves behind the front counter were lined with boxes of Nepal Tea Collectives’ offerings, including the elusive Rose Label. I actually used to work just a block away and couldn’t help but think about how much I would have loved to have a tea place like The Collective Brew nearby.
Next to the front counter is a colorful chalkboard menu showing all of their offerings. Less is more sometimes. The tea options are diverse but not so numerous that it is overwhelming. The previous business in this space was a coffee-focused cafe, so it is smart of them to still have lattes and other drinks available. Over time, those who come in for their java fix might just become curious about what this tea thing is all about. I was obsessed with the cross cross shelf on the wall. What a perfect way to display teacups!
I arrived a little early, so I ordered a big pot of the Golden Tips black tea and settled into a seat. It arrived at my table already brewing in a glass teapot with a basket infuser. There was also a digital timer and a glass teacup. The tea was absolutely lovely. I found myself putting down my phone and pausing between sips.
The staff quickly provided an additional cup when my friend arrived so that she could share my pot of tea. As tea people tend to do, we chatted about tea, tea, and more tea in between sips. One of my favorite things about tea is how it has connected me with new people from all around the world. That includes the wonderful folks behind Nepal Tea Collective!
The first tea ended much too soon so we ordered a second big pot, this time a white tea. The cafe was fairly busy with a lot of people coming and going. It never felt crowded or rushed, though! Our attention wandered to the beautiful world map showing the strings of connection from their tea producers back to where we were sitting. I also loved spotting treasures that were hidden around, like a trophy from The Leafies.
As we were leaving, we were kindly offered a sample of their White Champagne. It was a refreshing and tasty cold brew. I will definitely be back to visit whenever I am in the area. Jersey City has not had a dedicated tea place in a very long time, but I think they might finally be ready for one.
Have you been able to visit The Collective Brew yet? Which tea is your favorite so far? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
Join the Community
Please support my work in tea by joining my Patreon community. Give what you can and receive access to exclusive behind-the-scenes content, my private Discord server, surprise quarterly packages, and more!