Tucson is known more for its (golf) tees than its teas, but according to one authority, it's home to one of the country's finest tea houses.
Seven Cups, 2516 E. Sixth St., is one of the six best places to drink tea in the U.S., according to tea expert Bruce Schoenfeld of Travel + Leisure magazine.
In an article that appears in the May issue of the magazine and online, Schoenfeld ranks the Tucson establishment alongside elite offerings in Colorado, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.
He writes:
"Seven Cups owner Austin Hodge, the only American with a license to export tea from China, sources the best of the best from Wuyishan, Yunnan, Qimen, Anxi, and beyond."
Schoenfeld recommends Liu Guo Ying's da hong pao, which he calls "the real stuff" that "altered my tea-drinking life."
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Da hong pao costs $10 for seven to 10 infusions of the tea, which translates to as many as 50 1-ounce cups.
You can also buy a 25-gram bag of da hong pao for $20.40.
Schoenfeld described the tea with flowery praise:
"It tasted as autumnal as Thanksgiving dinner, with the sweet balsamic flavors of grilled peach. And it kept getting better - richer and rounder with every cup."
Seven Cups opened its doors in 2004. Hodge's wife, Zhuping Hodge, a native of China, is a certified Chinese tea master. The teahouse sells teas from 10 regions in China and offers free tastings at all times.
The store's hours are 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays.
Contact reporter Phil Villarreal at pvillarreal@azstarnet.com or 573-4130.
