Eli Tea Bar, Birmingham, MI

On Monday I blogged about purchasing a tin of tea blended by Eli Tea for the Detroit Institute of Arts exhibit Bitter/Sweet - Coffee, Tea and Chocolate.

I've  heard of Eli Tea Bar in Birmingham, MI, but I haven't been there... yet. 

Last month a local newspaper published an article stating local tea shops across the state of Michigan brewed up something special November 14-20 - the first-ever Michigan Tea Week, the brain-child of Elias Majid, owner of Eli Tea Bar.  Unfortunately I learned about it after-the-fact.

It was essentially a week of tea tasting, seminars, and tea education across the state, modeled after restaurant week.  The week kicked off with a Tea 101 Class at a shop in Detroit, and Eli's Tea Bar hosted a Hawaiian-grown tea tasting later in the week, followed by tea at Goldfish [Asian] Tea Café in Royal Oak, MI.  A kombucha-making class was also part of the week's events. 

Next year I'll be watching for Michigan Tea Week details before it happens.  Does your state have a 'Tea Week'?

[Internet Photo]

I did a little research about Eli Tea Bar.  Their website says they're a modern tearoom on a mission to bring tea to Detroit.  Elias Majid founded the company in 2013. In the start-up phase he supplied tea to 20 Metro Detroit shops and restaurants while he was looking for a location for a tea bar.  He found the location in a former Cold Stone Creamery at 108 S. Old Woodward Avenue in Birmingham.  After converting the space into a tea bar he opened on November 1, 2014.

The tea bar offers 50 types of tea and herbal infusions and every cup of tea is freshly brewed from loose-leaf tea.  Eli Tea now supplies tea to 40 Metro Detroit stores, doubling those from start-up. I'm looking forward to visiting the tea bar in the near future, and I'll be sure to report back.

[Internet Photo]