Art of Tea

Art of Tea was founded in Los Angeles in 2004 by tea blender Steve Schwartz, who started mixing teas and botanicals in his living room after years of sourcing trips. It still blends to order in Monterey Park, buys directly from growers it has visited and has held CCOF organic handling certification since 2009. Its Ginger Spice Chai Concentrate was named Best New Product at the 2023 Specialty Coffee Expo.

Meet the maker

The story behind Art of Tea

Art of Tea traces its roots to 1996, when Steve Schwartz began studying at the Ayurvedic Institute in New Mexico. That training shaped how he thinks about herbs and botanicals, and it drew him into blending. As interest in his blends grew, he founded Art of Tea in 2004 and ran it at first out of his own living room.

  • Est. 2004
  • Los Angeles, CA
  • Hand-blended organic teas
  • Sourced directly from growers
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Today the company is based in Los Angeles, with a warehouse in Monterey Park just outside downtown. Steve, a Master Tea Blender, travels each year in search of rare teas and has built relationships with farmers and suppliers across Asia, India, Africa and the Middle East. Teas are chosen directly from growers. The team then hand blends organic teas and botanicals for retail shelves, hotels and restaurants, along with fully custom blends.

“Our teas are carefully selected directly from growers, each one offering a unique story.”

Art of Tea