About Tea Sparrow

It all started when Michael Menashy, now a self-described "tea party animal," tried his first loose leaf tea. He was in China, and a factory owner brewed him a floral-scented oolong in his empty boardroom. Ever since then, he's been spreading the word about loose leaf tea's delights through Tea Sparrow.

The mail-order tea company, which he co-founded with chef Zeta Newis, works simply. Every month, each subscriber receives a curated (and taste-tested) package of four teas, which collectively yields about 35 cups. Once they've sampled all the teas, subscribers then submit reviews, such as "love the floral scent" or "very crunchy without water" to help the team further customize the next month's package.