Silk Road Invents a Better Way to Enjoy a Cuppa

Loose-leaf tea lovers from all around the globe now have a new way to enjoy their favourite beverage, thanks to a revolutionary new teacup co-designed by Daniela Cubelic, tea master and owner of the Victoria-based Silk Road.

Called the TipCup, the Finnish-invented teacup features a diameter of 11 cm (4.5 inches), ideal for two-hand holding; an inbuilt removable strainer for in-cup tea brewing and easy cleaning; and a dual-angled, triangle-shaped bottom – tip one side to brew (strainer positioned underwater), tip other side to drink (strainer positioned out of the water).

“The TipCup is an extraordinary design from the perspective of tea innovation,” said Cubelic. “Tea has more than 4,000 years of recorded history, and, in all this time, no one has come up with the idea of tipping a cup one way to brew tea, and then tipping it another way to stop the leaves from continuing to infuse. It’s remarkably simple, but effective – and a major innovation in the world of brewing tea, comparable to when teapots or teaballs were first invented.”

Cubelic is a highly acclaimed tea master who received her training from Chinese and Taiwanese tea masters and herbalists. Over the course of her 20 years in the tea industry, Cubelic has become one of North America’s foremost tea experts. With sole Canadian distribution rights of the Magisso TipCup, Cubelic says the new product will hit Silk Road shelves today, Nov. 7, 2011, at a cost of $29.90 and is available in white or black. Business owners wanting to carry the product can purchase the TipCup at wholesale from www.silkroadtea.com/wholesale.htm.

“For wine lovers, it’s well known that temperature and the vessel’s lip thickness and shape affects taste – the same is true for tea,” said Cubelic. “Understanding how to enhance a tea’s flavour is a tea master’s art and the TipCup has been designed with all these elements in mind, ensuring it brews a perfect cup of tea. It was a honour to take part in this project, sharing my knowledge and love of tea with Laura Bougdanos, inventor, and Vesa Jääskö, head designer.”

Although the Magisso TipCup is a newcomer on the tea-culture block, the product has already won a honourable mention at the prestigious reddot design awards for 2011.

Silk Road, which celebrates the culture of tea, has been a main fixture of Victoria’s historic Chinatown for nearly two decades. The store features a large selection of premium, organic loose-leaf teas; a host of brewing essentials, from teapots to kettles and specialty cups; a tea-tasting bar; and a tea-inspired natural spa. And while all of the store’s organic teas are blended locally in Victoria, BC, Silk Road has a national reach, with products available at a number of Canadian spas, retailers and hotels.

For more information about Silk Road, visit www.silkroadtea.com or call 250-704-2688.

About Silk Road

Located in Victoria’s historic Chinatown, Silk Road imports and blends the world’s finest organic  teas, sharing a passion for tea and tea culture with local residents and visitors from all around the world. With an award winning tea-inspired spa and dozens of locally made natural skin, body and hair products available for purchase, Silk Road is a one-stop shop for body wellness – both inside and out. For more information, visit www.silkroadtea.com or join in on Facebook or Twitter conversations.