A Homage to Tea

Tea, often overlooked in this city of coffee drinkers, was given an appropriate nod of approval at Bvlgari and Tavalon’s event at Bloomingdale’s. This thoughtfully curated event showcased Bvlgari’s White Tea and Green Tea fragrances as well as Tavalon’s SmarTEAni and MoTEAjo cocktails.

Bvlgari launched its first frangrace, Eau Parfumeé au Thé Vert in 1992. Following its success, Eau Parfumeé au Thé Blanc was released in 2003.

Tavalon first splashed onto the NYC tea scene with a sexy tea bar in Union Square (now closed) that quickly garnered a following of tea enthusiasts. "When we first came to the city, it was, by all counts, a coffee-centric place. Little by little, the tables are starting to turn towards tea!" remarked Tea Sommelier, Chris Cason. I recall walking into Tavalon’s tea bar for an impeccable cuppa many a times and was always greeted by a knowledgeable staff and a resident DJ spinning beats in the loft area.

The sleek, sophisticated style of Tavalon is embodied in Tavalon’s dapper co-founder and CEO, John-Paul Lee. A Korean-American who recognized an opportunity in the untapped NYC market, he founded Tavalon along with Sonny Caberwal and Chris Cason. Tavalon has recently expanded their wholesale and internet business to include tea bar locations in Seoul Korea and Sao Paolo, Brazil. A new Manhattan locale will also be opening to offer tea and tea-infused foods and products.