Happy Earth Tea

Our founder Niraj and his wife Mary are on holiday in Norway — a country they fell in love with on their first visit four years ago. This time they traveled to the far north, to the island of Senja, which sits above the Arctic Circle. They're loving the wild nature there, and are particularly awestruck by the full splendor of the midnight sun.
It's a phenomenon that has to be experienced to understand its full scope. Disorienting and mystifying, it lets you appreciate the humbling nature of the earth and its forces — and that sense of awe is something Happy Earth, as a business, is driven by.
Enough said. Why don't we let Niraj take you through this experience, and finish with a montage of Norway's natural beauty.
Go find your wonder - whether near or far.

There's tea, and then there's tea in the place it belongs to.
Our youngest team member, Ever, is in Morocco on a school trip — and got to drink Moroccan Mint the way it's meant to be served: poured high, sweet, and shared. Thanks for bringing us along, Ever. 🌿🇲🇦

As the temperatures climb, we keep a pitcher of this going on the bottom shelf of the fridge all summer long.
It's cold brew Darjeeling — and it might be the easiest good thing you make all season. Instead of brewing hot and pouring over ice, you steep loose-leaf tea slowly in cold water overnight. The cold draws out the delicious peachy notes Darjeeling first flush is famous for, while leaving the bitterness behind. The result is smooth, naturally sweet, and a little wine-like — nothing like what comes in a bottle.
The pitcher in the video is one we carry in our tea ware section, and the tea is our organic Darjeeling. Fill it before bed, strain in the morning, and you're set.
We've put our full cold brew method — ratios, timing, and four teas that shine cold — on the blog. Come read it, then come see us at 696 South Avenue and we'll set you up.
Read the full guide: https://happyearthtea.com/blogs/tea-101/cold-brew-tea-the-easiest-way-to-cool-off-this-summer

We are sampling Darjeeling Risheehat 2026 first flush and Golden Osmanthus black tea today 6/6, 12-2 PM. These teas are part of our new additions that will delight any serious tea enthusiast. Come on in!🍵👍

Last night we tried something new — and you made it feel like we'd been doing it for years.
Our first First Friday meant staying open till 9pm and opening the shop up as a gathering place. Happy Gut Sanctuary set up a kombucha pop-up (if you've had their brew, some of it starts as our loose-leaf tea — a partnership we're proud of), DJ Maxxie filled the room with music, and we had the joy of welcoming guests from the Ibero American Action League into our tea community.
We started Happy Earth Tea because we believe a tea shop can be more than a place to buy tea — it can be a place where a neighborhood gathers. Last night was exactly that.
Thank you to everyone who came by. We'll be doing this again. 🍵
📍 696 South Avenue, in the South Wedge

🌧️ New teas are raining down at Happy Earth Tea!

This week we’ve welcomed two fresh Darjeeling First Flush teas from Steinthal and Jungpana.

Then, in a surprise twist, a shipment of Chinese teas that had been trapped in Customs for over two months suddenly appeared at our door yesterday. We thought it was lost for good!

The box is packed with exciting new arrivals, including several outstanding black teas. More details coming soon. 🍵✨

A note to our Happy Earth Tea community —
We want to be upfront about something. Several of you have reached out about the ziplock on our new compostable pouches pulling away from the bag wall. It's a real defect, and we're sorry it's happening.
Here's where things stand: we've spoken with our supplier, and they are working with the manufacturer to get to the bottom of it. We don't have a resolution yet, but we're pushing.
While we wait — try this. Fold the top of the bag over a couple of times and seal it with a paper clip. Simple, but it keeps your tea fresh.
We're not switching back to conventional plastic. The environmental cost of that decision is one we're not willing to make, even when things get complicated.
Also worth knowing: these bags are compostable, but they need a commercial composting facility — not your home bin. Rochester is lucky to have for exactly this. They handle composting for us at the shop and at home.
Thank you for your patience and for holding us to a high standard. It means everything.