Dear friends of Amsterdam Teas,
Thank you! Looking back at 2024, there’s so much to be grateful for at Amsterdam Teas. We haven’t even been open for a full year, and already it’s been an incredible journey. I’ve had the pleasure of sharing tea with a lot of incredible people at our little hidden shop on the first floor of the old office building at Parnassusweg 126, and virtually through this webshop.
We try to give every tea its own ‘space’ at Amsterdam Teas, letting each one show off another facet of the incredible camellia sinensis leaf. But of course we’re not just showing off the leaf. We’re showing off the remarkable care that the farmers with whom we work have put into their soil, their plants and their harvest, and the whole drying, oxidizing (or not) and rolling process.
Just like we love to show the unique place each tea has in our collection, we’ve loved learning the distinct place that tea has in our visitors’ lives, whether it’s as a morning pick-me-up, a part of meditation practices, a moment of relaxation in the evening, a healthy choice throughout the day, and more. Likewise the little wrinkles that everyone gives a little differently to preparing each cup – I’ve learned so much over the last 6 months, including list of suggestions that I’m looking forward to trying in 2025!
I’m very lucky to work in this space of connection between those who produce each tea and the visitors to the store who will prepare each cup. It was a special day in September when I was able to start offering our Indian teas, and so to introduce customers to the Khannas, the family producing those wonderful leaves grown in their gardens in the Nilgiri Mountains. Even more recently, we’ve been thrilled to offer simply remarkable teas from Taiwan, which was only possible thanks to a clear fit between Amsterdam Teas and our friends in Taiwan at satotea – a fit so clear thanks in no small part to all that our customers have shared with me while we’ve been sharing tea.
2024 was not all goodness. Too far from it. In so many conversations over tea, concern for the state of things in the world has also been something many have shared with me. For all of the sadness and frustration we’ve shared, these conversations also give me hope. I won’t pretend there are easy solutions, or promise change one cup at a time. But the care and kindness that so many have shown has been deeply inspirational.
As 2025 is getting underway, it’s my real pleasure to say a very heartfelt thank you. I’m looking forward to sharing more beautiful tea and so much else this year. With sincere thanks.
Warm wishes for the new year,
Geoff