For thousands of years, drinking tea has brought human’s together. Believe it or not, tea is the second-most consumed beverage in the world after water. With public interest in wellness increasing within the past decade, you should be aware that tea has been found to not only relax and calm you down, but that tea consumption is also related to a decrease in depressive symptoms, according to a recent study in Public Health Nutrition.

There’s some solid proof that drinking tea can be a truly enlightening experience, and Wu Mountain Tea Co. has a fascinating, local story and message to bring to us.

Dylan Rothenberg, 22 years old, studied Chinese at the University of Colorado Boulder. He traveled to China as a Boren Scholar to study Chinese and coincidently lived in the Gungzhou Tea Markets, where he learned to source tea from an experienced tea distributor.

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Photo courtesy of wumountaintea.com

After studying abroad in Beijing, Dylan dropped out of school altogether and lived in the city completely alone with the world at his fingertips. With his language skills, he befriended Chinese tea-makers and discovered where to purchase the best teas, particularly in terms of purity, uniqueness and quality. Dylan would agree, that some secrets are better when shared.

When Dylan returned, he founded Wu Mountain Tea Company, but like any new business, there can be a lack of direction at the start. Dylan called upon his friend since youth, Jared Amory, and the two have cultivated their dream in to an up-and-coming local tea company in Boulder. Wu Mountain Tea was actually About Boulder’s start-up of the month in October, which you can read about here.

I sat down to speak with Jared about his experience with Wu Mountain Tea. Just from speaking with him, it is obvious Jared brings deeper meaning and values to the two friend’s company. As a recent graduate in Philosophy, he has been essential in creating the vision behind their amazing product.

Photo courtesy of @wumountaintea on Instagram

“We truly find the best quality teas for the lowest prices. We have mastered our export methods to maximize quality, and without a doubt believe we offer the best quality Chinese teas for the price.”  – Jared Amory, Vice President of Wu Mountain Tea

Quality in tea is so valuable because it is a product that is easily advertised and sold with little to no knowledge of it’s quality.  The average American consumer knows virtually nothing about the art of Chinese tea-making and practice, but Wu Mountain Tea is taking one step forward in bringing this awareness to Boulder.

The word “Wu” actually means enlightenment in Chinese, which it is no coincidence that this small local company is promoting a new insight on the importance of quality tea.  While visiting with Jared, he poured me a hot cup of their Imperial Golden Tips tea, which he mentioned was arguably one of their highest of quality teas. I couldn’t help but agree that the flavor was incredible. It is apparent from one sip, that Dylan and Jared uphold their values of sourcing their variety of organic teas strictly from the connections Dylan has made abroad.

Wu Mountain Tea Company has recently begun a partnership with The Point Café, on the corner of 13th and College at University Hill. You can shop their website at wumountaintea.com. You can also check them out on Instagram: @wumountaintea.