Ravi Kroesen and Veronika Vogler have opened Bardo Tea’s first retail location this month.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Bardo Tea today announced it has opened its first retail location in Portland’s Concordia neighborhood.
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 and superb tasting experience that accentuates the nuance and complexity of each tea.
Kroesen explains, “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 honor 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, traveling throughout the world to learn from and connect with tea growers, processers and experts.
Veronika Vogler, long-time mindfulness facilitator and co-founder, remarks, “At Bardo, we encourage you to take time and be present with the tea you are drinking,” she shares.
“As the leaves unfold, you go on a journey. You sit with the clay pot, the boiling water, the tea leaves, and you recognize that it all communicates. The flavor 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.
About Bardo Tea:
Bardo Tea is a Portland-based retail and wholesale tea supplier. Offering a wide variety of high-quality teas and teaware, Bardo weaves the story that connects the soil to the farmer, the tea, and the cup. Bardo Tea commits to working toward equal representation by supporting women’s roles in tea beyond the picking of the leaf by actively building relationships with female tea farmers and supporting them as tea growers.