Behind “Seven Cups”
Seven Cups is an American tea company based in Tucson, Arizona. We source traditional, handmade Chinese teas directly from the growers and tea masters who make them, and we bring those teas back from China to share with people everywhere. Seven Cups is the only American tea company with our own Chinese trading license, so that we are in complete control of our supply chain from tea maker to consumer.
We’re also dedicated to promoting Chinese tea culture. Seven Cups is a member of the Chinese International Tea Culture institute, and Austin Hodge is the first American to be published in their journal. Austin was awarded a four year position in the institute as an Honorary Director for his contributions to Chinese tea culture.
This direct link to authentic Chinese tea masters is what makes Seven Cups special. While most tea companies focus on their packaging, 100 percent of our focus is on the tea inside the box. Sourcing is our key competency, but we also are dedicated researchers and enthusiastic students. There is no end to the complexity of Chinese tea and tea culture. We are publishing what we learn on our site, and are still behind on writing articles from the research that we have already completed with regard to tea.
We focus on direct sourcing because it gives us two important advantages. First, we get the teas we want because we select them ourselves. We travel to all of these places, 22 producers in ten different regions of China, from one side of China to the other including Taiwan. Second, we build relationships with our tea masters and growers, and see for ourselves how they make their teas. We gather this information and share it with our customers. Both of these pieces – real tea and the story behind it – are what our customers have come to expect.
From our beginnings at the St. Phillip’s Farmers Market in Tucson, Arizona, we’ve built a company that connects tea masters across China to tea lovers in more than 50 countries. From Singapore to Salt Lake City, Portland to Prague, Brooklyn, London, Beijing and Bangkok, tea lovers across the United States and around the world are finding the teas they want and the information they need at Seven Cups. We want to thank all of you for your support, and we look forward to building strong relationships with you.
Questions about our teas? Drop us a line anytime at (520) 628-2952 or sales@sevencups.com. We’d love to hear from you.
