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May 7th, 11:30AM-12:30PM
Mr. Beat
A History of Tea in the United States
Why stop at the Boston Tea Party? Mr. Beat will tell you all about the role tea has played at both major and more obscure events throughout American history and look at the effect tea has had on American culture.
Matt Beat is a high school social studies teacher, video producer, podcaster, and musician based out of Kansas. He has taught various subjects in the classroom from grades 7-12. His YouTube channels, Mr. Beat and The Beat Goes On, have accumulated more than 430,000 subscribers and 80 million views, helping expand his "classroom" to around the world. Beat's speciality is American history, but he also has a big passion for geography, economics, and music. He has a band called Electric Needle Room, which is most known for original indie pop songs about all of the American Presidents. Matt co-hosts an iHeartMedia podcast called Jobsolete.
May 7th
Courses Introductions
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Nicole Burriss
Tea 101
May 7th, 12:45-01:30PM
New to tea? Wondering what to do? Do you need that ultra-modern steeping system? Electric kettle? Bags? Loose leaf? Why is your green tea always so bitter and why don’t white teas taste like anything but water? Do tea leaves go bad? Join Nicole Burriss of Taste All The Tea for a primer on teas. Preparations, types, steeping equipment – we will discuss and taste some teas made badly and some teas made well and discover the difference.
Nicole Burriss, owner of Taste All The Tea, is a Kansas City native. She grew up with Lipton iced tea and didn’t really think much about tea until her eyes were opened at an afternoon tea party. Taking a deep and obsessive dive into teas of all kinds led her to found the Midwest Tea Festival and the Chicago International Tea Festival. After several years of calling tea lovers to Kansas City to celebrate tea and tea cultures, she passed both festivals on to other organizers and started a partnership with Australian Tea Masters. She is currently the US wholesale distributor of Australian Tea Masters line of Korean teas.
Nischal Banskota
Nepal Tea- The Best Kept Secret
in the Tea Industry!
May 7th, 01:45~02:30PM
Nepal has been growing teas for over an entire century; however, it has only gotten recognition for about a few decades. In quite a short period of time, Nepali teas have gained a worldwide reputation for its quality and unique flavors. It has also finally achieved its international geographic trademark as “Nepal Tea: Quality from the Himalayas” and some of the teas have won international awards including the Global Tea Championships. We will delve into a brief history of Nepal Tea and most importantly identify what is so unique about the origin that makes it the newfound secret in the global tea market.
Nishchal Banskota is a 2nd generation tea producer and the founder of Nepal Tea which directly brings certified organic teas from Nepal to the American market. His vision is to create a tech-enabled transparent tea trade that bridges the gap between the primary producers and consumers. He is an active member of the European Specialty Tea Association (ESTA) working to define, educate and execute direct trade through the International Development Committee. His innovative work has been featured in major publications the New York Times and Forbes and he has been a regular speaker at various tea festivals. He is a young leader for the European Union Development Days and an active advocate for the UN Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda.
Babette Donaldson
Understanding the Health Benefits of Tea
May 7th, 02:45-03:30PM
Some claims for the health benefits of tea make it sound like a miracle drug. Understanding how tea interacts on a cellular level in our bodies explains the real magic of "true tea," Camellia sinensis. We will consider the general overview and touch on the most frequently asked questions.
Babette Donaldson, founder of the International Tea Sippers Society and author of The Everything Healthy Tea Book and The Emma Lea Books began her adventure with "real" tea as a graduate art student in San Francisco during the 70's with a focus on ceramic art. Studying the history and elegance of ancient teaware inspired curiosity for the beverage and worldwide cultures that celebrate it ceremonially. This inspired her most recent project, “Sip for Peace” for which she earned Best Consumer-Oriented Marketing Campaign at World Tea Expo.
Rebecca Grzeskowiak
An Introduction to Herbal Infusions
May 7th, 03:45-04:30PM
Functional Herbal Teas; Eastern and Western Herbalist traditions and honoring knowledge from previous generations.
This class takes a look into Eastern versus Western herbalist traditions, and some modern research that looks to support functionality claims. We look at functionality, taste, as well safety concerns utilizing herbals in tea blends. And how a cup is prepared for functionality, enjoyability, and enriching one's lifestyle.
Rebecca Grzeskowiak has been with The Tea Smith for 9 years, coming from an artistic background and even training in stunts and stagefighting. She enjoys sharing her passion for tea with our retail and wholesale customers alike. Not only is she passionate about tea education for all, but has worked to create many of The Tea Smith blends, offers the unique opportunity to create custom blends for wholesale customers, hosts live or virtual guided tastings and educational sessions for both retail and wholesale customers, and has spoken at the World Tea Expo. She has a voracious appetite for knowledge and a love for plants and herbs, and has worked with certified clinical herbalists to create functional herbal blends on The Tea Smith’s current tea menu.
Babette Donaldson
Multiple Infusions: Unlocking the Subtle Layers of Flavor in the Tea Leaf
May 7th, 04:45-05:30PM
Simple brewing techniques can help you get more out of your tea. By controlling the amount of tea, the temperature of the water, and the brewing time, you enjoy more cups of tea with the same leaves.
Babette Donaldson, founder of the International Tea Sippers Society and author of The Everything Healthy Tea Book and The Emma Lea Books began her adventure with "real" tea as a graduate art student in San Francisco during the 70's with a focus on ceramic art. Studying the history and elegance of ancient teaware inspired curiosity for the beverage and worldwide cultures that celebrate it ceremonially. This inspired her most recent project, “Sip for Peace” for which she earned Best Consumer-Oriented Marketing Campaign at World Tea Expo.
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