Drunk on tea? It’s a thing! Just ask The Oolong Drunk. What started as an Instagram account, quickly became a blog filled with tea reviews, rants, and other in-depth tea writing. In the beginning, the blogger was somewhat anonymous as he did not share much about himself right away. When I finally had the chance to connect further with Cody though I knew I had to learn more about how tea became a big part of his life. When he’s not drinking tea or documenting his sessions, he’s working away at his upcoming book. The book isn’t about tea, but instead about his journey in starting a new life and letting the past go. At the tea table Cody took a break from his writing and chatted about one of his “tea drunk” experiences, how tea found him, the dangers of tea marketing and much more.
The kettle is on and I can hear it about to sing. What tea are you going to steep for us today?
Today I’m bringing out Honeymoon by Crimson Lotus Tea! It’s a collaboration that Crimson Lotus Tea and I, and I always come back to it.
How did your relationship with tea begin?
I was actually working as a weight loss consultant when a client told me to try drinking loose leaf tea as a soda alternative. I went to the store and spent $15.00 on an oolong (I forgot what kind to be honest), got hot-water from a local coffee shop on my lunch break, and made it. It was disgusting. However, after spending $15.00 on tea, I was determined to make it work. After a search on Ask Jeeves, I made it again and this time, it was like gold on the tongue. I’ve been drunk on tea ever since.
On that note, define what “blissfully tea drunk” means to you.
Actually, quickly into diving into the world of tea, I discovered that being tea drunk was a real thing. After trying one of the Rareness teas by Pu-erh.sk, I knew it was a real thing. I remember being incredibly high on that tea. I’ve never gotten that kind of high from anything before, and for it to come from tea? I almost don’t believe it. But, it was a classy thing and I was happy. It was a blissful kind of drunk.
What an intense experience! In addition to those Rareness teas, what are some other interesting teas you have tasted during your tea journey?
I worked at Teavana and two teas from Oprah Winfrey. Both being chai — one black tea chai and one herbal chai. The herbal chai from Oprah Winfrey tasted identical to a flat Dr. Pepper that sat on the dashboard of a car too long. That one certainly sticks out.
I look forward to your slow motion tea pours on Instagram that you pair with the perfect tune. Your top 10 albums to drink tea to is one of my favourite blog posts, too. Can you share a few tea + music pairings that are your favourite?
I’ve always had a love and appreciation for the world of music. After a near-death experience with a car accident, they used music therapy to help with my PTSD with driving and to help regain my memory. I learned how to meditate as well. So I will often play a random album on the computer and play it beginning-to-end, and meditate listening to it while meditating to drinking tea. I will throw myself into the album and try to feel every emotion that the artist wants you to feel (except for the time I blindly listened to and meditate to a Tech N9ne album with tea time. I felt the album too much because I was angry for a week straight for no other apparent reason).
At the moment, I’m listening to Tame Impala and Grime’s new albums (The Slow Rush and Miss Anthropocene) when meditating to tea. My favorites always change, but these two stood out to me as of late. I usually gravitate towards music that has great writing musically and lyrically, and at the moment, alternative pop/rock and vocal albums usually hit the spot for me.
As far as making slow-motion videos on Instagram, I usually go with the feeling that the tea gave me, and pick a song that goes with that feeling. I made several before narrowing it down to one for posting. I started posting these over a year ago. However, over the past two-thee months, several people accused me of stealing the idea from a popular tea drinker — who started making them around six months ago. I laughed. It’s made full-circle that I’m being accused of being a poser for a trend that I evidently started.
When speaking at tea festivals in the past you have gone in depth about the dangers of tea marketing. As both a tea writer and marketing professional, I’m so glad you’ve brought attention to this! What are a few important points you would advise tea drinkers today to look for in false marketing?
The main thing I’d like tea drinkers to remember is that the tea industry is still an ‘industry’. Some people sell tea for the passion of the art and culture that surrounds it, but a majority of people/companies sell tea to make money. They have to profit to stay alive, after-all. I actually spoke about this at the Mid-West Tea Festival in Kansas City last September. One of the main points I got across is that, when drinking tea, you should drink it because you like the taste. No other reason should go into your decision into drinking tea.
The wellness industry has ruined tea for the mainstream market. I saw this first hand when I let down an audience member to my talk when informing them that tea doesn’t aide in the prevention of cancer (something they learned in a health-related magazine). Another fun fact I learned is that chamomile has no proven affect to help you sleep at night. However, the process of mentally and physically slowing down to drink a cup of tea is what relaxes you. Chamomile tea only makes you sleepy because you believed in the placebo.
Speed Round:
Black, Green, Yellow, White, Oolong or Puerh?
White
Hot, Iced or Cold?
Hot for unflavored. Iced for flavored.
Teapot, Infuser or Gaiwan?
Gaiwan!
Straight, Sweetened or Latte?
Straight. Though, as a gay guy, I have an issue with that… (haha)
Cheese or Chocolate pairing?
Mozzarella by the Florida-kilo please.
Lana Del Rey or Lana Del Rey?
Lana Del Bae (cause you know, she’s bae). I answer this as I’m currently listening to California from her album NFR haha.
Who has been your greatest teacher in tea?
Microshrimp (his name on social media) was the first to really answer my hundreds of questions when getting started. However, my real teachers are those who show love and compassion within the tea community. With every kindness and act of love within the tea community, I learn and grow. We all do.
Find The Oolong Drunk:
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Cody will be speaking at Mana Bar in Kansas City about how to describe tea physically and spiritually as well as how to talk about tea and blogging. This talk is tentatively slated for mid-to-late April, but follow his blog to learn more about this and his upcoming book!
About Cody’s Book: Cody Wade was listening to a song by Mitski and heard the quote, “The war was over and nobody told me”. This quote is the best way to describe the book. It takes place from the first to the last day of 2019, and is a bitter-sweet coming of age drama about about moving 400 miles away and leaving everything behind while starting an new life. The more Cody learned to let the past go, the more haunted he became by it. In this journey, hints and assumptions will slowly play out until a large reveal puts everything into perspective to paint a complete picture.
ABOUT THIS SERIES: Tea tells stories and when connected with humans, more are created. That’s where the idea for this blog series, At the Tea Table, originated. With this series, The Cup of Life asks tea lovers around the world to take us inside their tea lives to share their favourite steeps, spaces, routines and more. Meet some of your fellow tea drinkers here.