Tea Party

Piper & Leaf didn’t plan on getting into the tea business, but lucky for us, they did.

WHEN ASKED HOW PIPER & LEAF GOT STARTED, co-founder Connor Knapp admits that it was almost entirely by accident. Knapp and his family were looking for a way to work together, and decided to sell his brother-in-law’s organic compost at the local farmer’s market. “We decided to sell tea, almost as an afterthought, to have a special treat during the summer days,” Knapp recounts. “The compost did not sell at all, while people went crazy for the tea.”
     Three years later, Piper & Leaf has grown into a bustling business offering around a doz-en blends of black, green, and herbal teas. Each one is created with ingredients from northern  Alabama, and every ingredient is sourced from local farmers, field foraged, or grown in the family’s own  garden.
     The actual process of creating the teas, Connor explains, is a combination of “experimenta-tion, fun, and luck.” With no formal training, the staff create teas using their own discerning palates:  “We start with basic blending and then experiment to find the perfect levels of each ingredient.”
     The inspiration for their flavors can come from anywhere—speaking with customers or friends, interacting with nature, or trying to capture the taste or feeling of something else. Velvet Bliss is designed to capture the flavor of chocolate and strawberries; their spiced pumpkin chai, Pumpkin Moonshine, was inspired by the children’s book of the same name.
     However whimsical their origins, Piper & Leaf have tapped into something good. Their teas are now being sold in stores, at festivals, and in markets across the country. And though they have no plans for physical spaces outside of Alabama, they do own two storefronts that also sell baked goods and tea accessories.
     For those lucky enough to live near their physical locations, there is also the opportunity to cater your event with a Piper & Leaf Tea Bar. This is a beautifully arranged, full service drinking sta-tion designed to match the style of your event. Each guest is given a customizable Mason jar, and for a few hours, they can refill their glass as many times as they please, while being treated to a team of professional tea-tenders.
     Looking towards the future, Knapp says Piper & Leaf is working on a new blend that will “hopefully capture the essence of the outdoor adventurer.” The news is both intriguing and expected. Whatever Piper & Leaf creates in the future, it is sure to feel familiar, yet entirely singular.

Originally published in the Summer 2016 issue of The Coastal Table.