Happy Earth Tea

Happy Earth Tea 📍 Rochester Tea Bar open Tue–Sun
🌿 Shop online anytime: happyearthtea.com

Happy Earth Tea curates some of the world’s finest organic loose leaf teas—ethically sourced, small-batch, and full of goodness. 🌍

📍 Visit our Tea Bar: 696 South Ave, Rochester, NY
🕙 Tue–Sat: 10 AM–6 PM | Sun: 10 AM–4 PM
🛒 Shop online 24/7: https://happyearthtea.com
✨ Committed to sustainability, garden direct, & giving back—proud 1% for the Planet members.

New Tea Alert - Kabusecha Shimamidori.For two to three weeks before harvest, the tea bushes are covered. Sunlight is cut...
07/14/2026

New Tea Alert - Kabusecha Shimamidori.

For two to three weeks before harvest, the tea bushes are covered. Sunlight is cut back on purpose.

It sounds counterintuitive — you're withholding the very thing the plant needs. But the plant responds by holding onto its amino acids rather than converting them into the compounds that give tea its briskness. Slow the plant down, and it gets sweeter.

That's kabusecha. And our new Spring 2026 harvest comes from Tanegashima, a small island off the southern tip of Japan, made from the Shimamidori cultivar — a plant known for producing elegant, full-bodied greens.

In the cup: a generous savory umami that coats the palate without overwhelming it. Silky texture. A gentle sweetness underneath. It's the kind of tea that rewards you for slowing down, and quietly punishes you for rushing.

If you already love gyokuro or matcha, you'll recognize the family. If sencha is as far as you've gone into Japanese tea, this is a good next step.

1 tsp (3g) · 176°F · 2 minutes first steep, 3 minutes second.

Spring 2026 harvest. Limited quantity.
https://happyearthtea.com/products/kabusecha-shimamidori-organic-spring-2026

Two tea classes this month at the shop, and they're very different animals.Art of Matcha — Sunday, July 26, 5:00–6:30 PM...
07/13/2026

Two tea classes this month at the shop, and they're very different animals.

Art of Matcha — Sunday, July 26, 5:00–6:30 PM — $40
Matcha has become a familiar drink here, but most people have never sat with it properly — never held the bowl, never whisked their own. Rie Maywar, a certified Japanese tea ceremony expert, will walk us through the practice: the tools, the motions, and the quiet attention that makes matcha what it is. Niraj Lama will be there as well, talking through the leaf and where it comes from. This is a hands-on class, so come prepared to make a bowl yourself.

Tea & Chocolate: A Guided Pairing Experience — Friday, July 31, 6:30–8:00 PM — $40
Chocolate and tea have more in common than most people expect — both are agricultural products shaped by soil, climate, and the hands that process them. Both can be extraordinary or forgettable. Chocolate educator Ronne de Guzman joins Niraj to taste through a set of pairings and talk about why some work and some absolutely don't. Deliciously memorable, in our experience.

Each class is $40 per person, and seats are limited. Register at happyearthtea.com/collections/tea-classes or stop by the register.

Happy Earth Tea, 696 South Avenue in the South Wedge.

07/10/2026

We are excited to share that the distinguished Taiko drummer from Japan, Takumi Kato, along with his family, has returned to our city and will be gracing Happy Earth Tea with their performance this Sunday, July 12th, at 11 AM!
It was two years back when Kato san and his family last enchanted us with their music, leaving a profound impact. We eagerly anticipate creating another unforgettable experience with our wonderful community of tea enthusiasts! 🍵💚 Donations will be welcomed from those who wish to contribute.

Last night was truly enjoyable as we participated in the Art of Matcha Class alongside an amazing group of tea lovers. R...
06/30/2026

Last night was truly enjoyable as we participated in the Art of Matcha Class alongside an amazing group of tea lovers. Rie-san, a specialist in Japanese Chado, provided attendees with practical advice on properly whisking matcha, how to store it, tips for choosing high-quality matcha, and various other useful insights. As always, she treated us to homemade Japanese sweets that complemented the matcha perfectly. Our upcoming class is scheduled for July 26th. To register, please visit the link
https://happyearthtea.com/products/art-of-matcha-a-hands-on-tea-class

An opening has just become available for the Tea & Chocolate pairing class scheduled for tomorrow, 26th June. Join certi...
06/25/2026

An opening has just become available for the Tea & Chocolate pairing class scheduled for tomorrow, 26th June. Join certified chocolate educator and taster, Ronnee De Guzman, along with Niraj Lama, the owner of Happy Earth Tea, for an enjoyable experience exploring the world of tea and chocolate! Due to its popularity, this class is sure to impress.⁠
The session takes place tomorrow at 6:30 PM at Happy Earth Tea. To reserve your spot, please click on the link below.
https://happyearthtea.com/products/tea-chocolate-a-guided-pairing-experience

A note for our Rochester neighbors:We'll be closed for summer break from July 4-10. Our staff and our little shop on Sou...
06/25/2026

A note for our Rochester neighbors:
We'll be closed for summer break from July 4-10. Our staff and our little shop on South Avenue deserve a real rest, and we're taking it.
Our online store stays open all week — order whenever you like. The one change: no local pickups during the break. So if you swing by to refill your favorites, this is your reminder to stock up before the 4th. Grab enough to carry you through the week (and maybe a new one to keep things interesting).
We'll reopen the doors on July 11. Thank you, as always, for being part of this.

Happy Juneteenth! 🤎We honor the resilience and the contributions of our Black bothers and sisters - and the ongoing work...
06/19/2026

Happy Juneteenth! 🤎

We honor the resilience and the contributions of our Black bothers and sisters - and the ongoing work of building a more just nation.

06/17/2026

Our founder Niraj and his wife Mary are on holiday in Norway — a country they fell in love with on their first visit four years ago. This time they traveled to the far north, to the island of Senja, which sits above the Arctic Circle. They're loving the wild nature there, and are particularly awestruck by the full splendor of the midnight sun.
It's a phenomenon that has to be experienced to understand its full scope. Disorienting and mystifying, it lets you appreciate the humbling nature of the earth and its forces — and that sense of awe is something Happy Earth, as a business, is driven by.
Enough said. Why don't we let Niraj take you through this experience, and finish with a montage of Norway's natural beauty.
Go find your wonder - whether near or far.

They are here!! There's a short window each spring when the highest elevation tea gardens finally wake up. At Jun Chiyab...
06/14/2026

They are here!! There's a short window each spring when the highest elevation tea gardens finally wake up. At Jun Chiyabari, perched in the eastern Himalayas of Nepal, the cold makes the new growth slow to come — and that patience is exactly what you taste.

Four teas just landed from this remarkable organic garden:

🌱 Himalayan Spring — a first flush tea with sweet and creamy with florals and a gentle earthiness.
🤍 Himalayan White — pristine and delicate; sweet peas, spring greens, a touch of sugar cane.
🍍 Himalayan Shiiba — grown from wild tea trees brought over from Shiiba village in Japan, lightly oxidized, with pineapple, mango, and a clean minerality. A rare tea!
🍯 Himalayan Supreme — our early-summer black: macadamia, apricot, and spring honey, silky all the way down.

Three picked in spring, one in early summer. All organic, all hand-packed here in Rochester, NY.

Swipe through, then tell us which one you'd reach for first. 🫖
Available now online and in store.

06/11/2026

There's tea, and then there's tea in the place it belongs to.
Our youngest team member, Ever, is in Morocco on a school trip — and got to drink Moroccan Mint the way it's meant to be served: poured high, sweet, and shared. Thanks for bringing us along, Ever. 🌿🇲🇦

Address

696 South Avenue
Rochester, NY
14620

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 6pm
Wednesday 10am - 6pm
Thursday 10am - 6pm
Friday 10am - 6pm
Saturday 10am - 6pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+15857307754

Website

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