Trident

I recently had the pleasure of paying my second visit ever to Trident Booksellers and Cafe in Boulder, Colorado.  This is an excellent shop featuring great coffee, high quality tea, and books.  In many coffee shops, tea is an afterthought.  At Trident, this is not the case as revealed through a conversation with the owner, Mike Smith.  He noted that for a little bit more per cup, you can go from having tea that's considered acceptable to tea that many would consider fantastic.  Mike mentioned that he learned this from Gaetano Kazuo Maida.  Tano is a tea educator and the executive director of Tea Arts Institute (TAI), an organization dedicated to making the traditions of tea accessible.   Thank you Tano for turning people onto great tea!  And thank you Mike for receiving the message.  So many people pass up good tea because of the bottom line.  

This photo was taken on a sunny day in May.  Outdoor seating is also available in the back, where there are sandboxes for children and adults interested in sand play.

This is the super cool barrista station.  Notice the white thermos in the middle of the photo?  People drinking from a teapot can refill the pot for additional infusions here.

The brick walls creates a feeling of comfort at Trident.  Front door seen through the reflection.

The Trident wall of tea.  Good stuff!  Oops, my flash was caught in this one.

Mike took the time to sit down with me and cup several Indian and Himalayan teas.  Here is the Darjeeling first flush that we very much enjoyed.  It is very green and has peachy undertones.   It reminds me of the white peony tea, known as Hairy Monkey, that J-TEA previously carried.  Overall, I learned a great deal about tea on this visit.  Next time you are in Boulder, or if you live in the area be sure to stop in for some tea or coffee.