Tea Time Thursday Highlight: Coffee and Tea Festival

Hey everyone, this past weekend I was at the Coffee and Tea Festival over at Greenpoint, NY. Being a green tea connoisseur; this was one event that I had to be there, and I had gotten my ticket from Groupon, I saved money and #gotpaidonthat.

Getting inside the Brooklyn Expo Center just after 12 noon for general attendees (the VIPs were allowed early access at 10 AM; I didn’t need to get in two hours earlier, the time I was there for was enough), there were a good amount of people already inside, and there were going to be more as the day went on. As I walked through the doors, I was given a tasting cup from the volunteer staff in an effort of the festival of going green (eco-friendly).

And also; there were water coolers around the expo center for either grab some water to drink, or to wash out the cup after visit booths that had coffee or tea samples to give out (which I had plenty of).

What I enjoy about this show is that most of the vendors here are from the local area; either from nearby Brooklyn, to out to the tri-state area. You would recognize some of the bigger brands, but there were very few. So this show is definitely catered to the local business owners in the coffee and tea industry.

In addition to the samples that you can taste; some booths also had their loose leaf teas out on the table, so that anyone can take a closer look on what are the ingredients that are a part of that tea, and you can get a whiff of the ingredients itself, so you would be able to smell how rich the ingredients are.

I had a fantastic time speaking with the vendors, and with some of the attendees as well (especially with other tea enthusiasts!). It was very interesting to hear what were their thoughts on the teas that were featured at the booths, what they enjoyed on a regular basis, and maybe finding a new tea that they will add to their regular routine.

*Sorry coffee fans; I can’t be as enthusiastic about coffee as I am about tea. Maybe I need to invite my coffee-loving friends to this show next year, so I can hear their input!*

There were a lot of booths at the show, a majority of them had items to sample. Of the booths that I were able to sample their drinks, below is what company was represented and what I enjoyed the most from that booth;

I was not able to sample everything; because I was not trying to overeat on any heavy food that the expo had (there were quite a few that I had a feeling if I ate it, the end result was not favorable). There were items like hot sauces, maple syrups, and honeys that I avoided sampling, out of choice. Though in hindsight, it may have been a good idea to do so; for the amount of caffeine that was going in my system.

To end, I enjoyed going to this year’s Coffee and Tea Festival. It gives me an opportunity to refresh my knowledge of tea that I know, discover and try new types of tea and try to increase knowledge of coffee as well.

I encourage anyone who is looking to expand their palate of teas and coffee, or is a fan of coffee and/or tea, to attend next year’s show here in NYC. I’m aware they are also around the country as well, so if you’re able to attend those shows; that’s even better! (Hmm, maybe I should make plans to attend those shows as well!)

So, it goes without saying, that I am definitely am planning to attend next year’s show! I may not know which local business is going to attend, what new types of tea or coffee are being showcased, or what may be my new favorite type that I will enjoy.

Hope you’ll be able to attend next year’s show with me!

More pictures here.

Your tea connoisseur-in-training,

The Eric Fong