Tost day 9
TOST was over but I had 3 days left in Taiwan. Day 9 Chris and I spent the day in Maokong. Afterwards, Thomas invited us to bar that was serving tea cocktails!
Friday 9/22
A day in Maokong
Visit Yaoyue Teahouse
Visit Relax Taipei
Maokong is in the Wenshan district that sits on the edge of the Taipei Basin. We took the gondola up the mountain which offers a fantastic view of Taipei. There are many small tea gardens, plenty of shops, and an amazing teahouse there. Tie Kuan Yin is most notable tea produced in Maokong.
Tea ice cream and cold brew oolong was being sold everywhere, which I was very thankful for because it was insufferably hot.
We stopped at the Tea Research and Promotion Center to see their tea manufacturing exhibit.
Yao Yue Teahouse was converted from a tea farm. It’s a large, peaceful area and the perfect place to relax. Lunch was bamboo, fired rice, chicken with fried ginger, and Bao Zhong Oolong.
That night, Thomas took us to Relax Taipei in Zhongshan District to meet Henry. He made several tea cocktails for us to try. My favorite was the creamy Jin Xuan with pineapple notes.
My first World Tea Expo (2013) I took a tea mixology course and tea and alcohol have gone hand-in-hand ever since. Crafting tea blends is very similar to crafting cocktails. I’m excited to see people embracing the idea globally.
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