GongFu Cha Cohort

GongFu Tea: An 8-week practice

This eight-week cohort follows GongFu Cha from its ancient origins to the vibrant, modern practice that has become the dominant form of tea culture in China.

Shawn draws on his 12 years of experience, study, and research into the tradition as it is practiced across China and Taiwan. Participants come together to learn how to brew tea with skill, care, and confidence, both for themselves and for friends and family.

The cohort approaches GongFu Cha as both a practical craft and a contemplative tradition, influenced by Taoist and Buddhist teachings. Tea is learned through direct experience: tasting, observing, brewing, and spending
time with the leaves. Alongside foundational knowledge of tea types, water, temperature, and brewing techniques, the course emphasizes simplicity, attentiveness, and presence as essential qualities of the practice.

Each session includes guided tasting, hands-on brewing, and shared conversation. Participants also learn the art of hosting: how to prepare space, serve tea with ease, attend to guests, and allow the rhythm of tea to shape a gathering. Hospitality, humility, and care are treated as central aspects of the tea tradition.

By the end of the eight weeks, participants will be able to
brew GongFu tea independently and host simple, meaningful tea sessions in their own homes, grounded in both technique and tradition.

No prior tea experience is required.

Course Details

Sessions meet every Saturday from 9am to noon, beginning
April 4th and running through May 23rd — eight weeks in total. Each meeting
includes guided instruction, hands-on brewing time, and shared tasting. Shawn
opens each session with instruction and a proper brewing demonstration before
members take their turn at the gaiwan or teapot, always with guidance close at
hand.

The cohort is limited to 8 participants; all seats have been reserved. Please reach out if you would like to be added to our waitlist. We will have more cohorts in Fall 2026 and Saturday classes throughout the summer.

Weekly printed notes and materials are provided at each
session. Life happens — makeup sessions are available for those who need them.

The investment is $500.

What's Included

Enrolled members receive discounts on a GongFu tea set and
on the weekly teas, so the practice can continue at home between sessions.
Members are also invited into a private WhatsApp group for questions,
conversation, and community throughout the cohort.

The Eight Week Curriculum

Each week centers on a single tea — its history, terroir, processing, and brewing technique — while weaving in the broader principles, philosophies, and traditions that shape a living GongFu Cha practice. Alongside the teas themselves, you'll explore the ideas, lineages, and practices from beyond the tea world that inform how we pour, listen, and slow down.

Week 1 — Foundations & White Tea

An introduction to GongFu Cha: the philosophy, the tools, and the fundamentals of brewing. Particular focus is given to the gaiwan this week, so participants leave ready to brew at home from day one. White tea anchors the first tasting.

Week 2 — Chinese Oolong & The origins of GongFu Cha

Wuyi rock oolongs, Phoenix Mountain Dan Congs, and Anxi oolongs including Tie Guan Yin. We will explore the origins of Gongfu Cha from the Chaozhou region and the brewing method still practiced there today.

Week 3 —Taiwanese Oolong & the origins of modern GongFu Cha

High mountain oolongs, bug-bitten teas, roasted oolongs, and the range of Taiwanese varietals.

Week 4 — Red Tea

Dian Hong from Yunnan, Wuyi red teas, and Taiwanese red teas. We start in Wuyi, the birthplace of red teas, then an old tree red from Yunnan, and Taiwanese reds made from oolong varietals.

Week 5 — Sheng (Raw) Pu'er

Young and aged sheng, brewing approaches for each, storage, and the tea mountains of Yunnan. We will start with young, vibrant sheng

Week 6 — Shou (Ripe) Pu'er

Proper brewing, storage, the history and geography of shou pu'er production. We will explore boutique and aged factory pressings.

Week 7 — Liu Bao & Hei Cha (Dark Tea)

An exploration of dark tea beyond pu'er.

Week 8 — Open Study

A final session for review, open brewing, questions, and reflection on the full arc of the practice.

Please contact us if you have any questions, if you would like to set up a call to see if this cohort is right for you, or if you would like to visit our private tea space before commiting to the cohort.