Bardo Tea opens first location in Portland
Image: Bardo Tea
Bardo Tea has opened its first retail location in Portland’s Concordia, Oregon, US, neighbourhood.
Bardo Tea’s brick-and-mortar store offers a full line of high-quality single-origin teas and premium blends for retail and wholesale purchase, curated teaware, small batch-produced incense from Asia, and lifestyle products for the fashion- and health-conscious.
Going beyond the classic boutique model, Bardo Tea’s structure boasts three segmented spaces—all designed for a distinct tasting experience that accentuates the nuance and complexity of each tea.
Ravi Kroesen, founder, explained, “The purpose of Bardo Tea is to change the mold. From the moment you step into the space, you’ll be welcomed by a converted carriage house split into three rooms—each providing a unique tea drinking experience with teas served in high-end teaware to honour each sip. No milk, sweeteners, or additives. Just tea and water.”
Kroesen—who worked as Smith Tea’s Head Teamaker for five years—has spent over two decades in the tea industry, travelling throughout the world to learn from and connect with tea growers, processers and experts.
Veronika Vogler, long-time mindfulness facilitator and co-founder, remarked, “At Bardo, we encourage you to take time and be present with the tea you are drinking,” she shared. “As the leaves unfold, you go on a journey. You sit with the clay pot, the boiling water, the tea leaves, and you recognise that it all communicates. The flavour of tea deepens with every pour, and over time it unlocks that language.”
Vogler has integrated tea with meditation for the last decade, focusing on tasting teas mindfully over the course of multiple steeps.
Learn more about Bardo Tea here.
