TEA WITH singer sage leopold, arch digest cakes, licorice tea
We just got a fresh batch of Oregon-grown licorice tea in this morning! I'm on my fourth cup.
Licorice is one of my favorite herbs and I can drink it kind of indefinitely. Our SKIN TEA - which will soon be available at Happier Grocery "New York's Erewhon" - is the best expression of our sweet licorice, blended with earthy Vermont-grown burdock root.
I found this photo of me walking through a field of wild licorice in Sicily a few years ago.
I'm currently drinking this pot of SKIN TEA in the studio with Sage, our studio manager. If you've had Masha tea in the past 9 months, Sage's hands have probably blended, packaged, and packed it. Aside from being Masha tea's Gen Z representation, Sage is a native New Yorker, one of my favorite people to spend long days with, and the lead singer of an incredible dream-pop band called Panik Flower (who will incidentally be playing four shows at SXSW this week for any of you who are in Austin) NATURALLY, in continuing our TEA WITH series, I turned to Sage.
Are you currently reading or listening to anything during tea time?
I'm very slowly plowing through "Our Band Could Be Your Life," which profiles a few bands of the indie underground throughout the 80s & 90s. Listening-wise, I've recently been gravitating towards listening through entire albums. The art of the LP seems to be becoming a thing of the past (sadly) so I've been making a conscious effort to listen to albums start to finish. A few that I've listened to & loved recently during teatime are I Got Heaven by Mannequin Pussy and MADRA by NewDad
What ceramicists do you love and/or what tea cups do you gravitate towards?
My dear friend Maia's mom, Mayumi Watanabe, is an incredible ceramicist. In terms of tea cups, I've been really loving small cups. I find a certain joy in drinking multiple small cups of tea; there's something really reminiscent of childhood about it to me. Plus it's easier to drink the whole cup while the tea is still hot!
How do you make tea?
I've recently been making tea in my french press. There's something that I find so adorable and sophisticated about this method (even if it vaguely smells of coffee grinds haha). I like having a little "pot" of tea that I can refill my tiny teacup with, especially if I'm enjoying tea with a loved one.
This photo is from the Masha Tea dinner with Pierce Abernathy and Paris Starn back in December .. we served tea in our wide tea bowls by Asia Sosnowsi
Does tea have a place in your work?
Yes, for obvious reasons :) And then secondly because I'm a singer, tea has been a part of my musical career for as long as I've been singing. I keep Throat Coat in most of my bags so that I have it handy before shows with my band.
Do you have a favorite Masha Tea?
Holy Basil & Genmaicha are tied for first!
Do you have a favorite Masha Tea?
Holy Basil & Genmaicha are tied for first!
Last thoughts on tea memories/sensory experiences?
I grew up drinking chamomile tea with my mom so I find the act of making tea to be very special. I had this teeny tiny tea set that I absolutely loved and would host little tea parties at least once a week, even if it was just my sister & I. These first memories of drinking tea include moments with people that are so special to me so tea has a very tender association!
<3 Late winter rec - listen to Panik Flower in Austin if you're there, otherwise at home with a pot of skin tea in hand <3
The other news I have to share is that I wrote my first article for Architectural Digest! READ IT HERE.
The piece is on wedding cake design and it includes Paris Starn's Louise Bourgeois inspired cake for Margaret of Outline Brooklyn, it includes Chloe Sevigny's leaning earl grey baroque tower by Aimee France, and rabbit holes including but not limited to bird symbolism, the continuity between fashion and cake design, cake euphemisms, and many flowers. Hope you will read the piece :)
Leaving some of the cake photos below meanwhile
cakes
1. Mina Park
2. Aimee France
3. Paris Starn
4. By Pensa for Ella Riley Adams Photo: Harper Cowan / Harper Pictures
5. From Lucie
THANK YOU for being here. Hope you are having your cake and eating it too.
Love,
M