Tea is one of the world's oldest rituals. It outlasts empires, punctuates grief, anchors mornings, and closes the space between strangers. It is the most drunk beverage on earth after water — and yet, in most kitchens, it is still being made too quickly, with too little thought. That gap is the reason Tea Drop exists.

Why May matters — for tea, and for us

May is the month the world pauses to celebrate tea. International Tea Day, designated by the United Nations and observed on 21 May, recognises tea's role in culture, trade, and the livelihoods of millions of farmers worldwide. It is a moment to think beyond the cup: to the hands that picked the leaf, to the communities built around the gardens, to the ancestral knowledge preserved in every harvest.

It is also, not by coincidence, the month Tea Drop was born.

Twenty-two years ago this May, Ashok Dias founded Tea Drop in Melbourne, and the fact that our anniversary falls in the same month the world gathers to honour the leaf has always felt like more than chance. May is, for us, a season of reflection: on where tea comes from, on what it means to do it well, and on why any of this matters.

For Tea Drop, International Tea Day is not ceremonial. Ethical sourcing through the Ethical Tea Partnership has been part of the business model since the beginning, ensuring fair conditions for every picker at the estates we work with. Sustainability runs through the entire supply chain, from FSC-certified packaging to fully biodegradable pyramid bags and soft-plastic-recyclable pouches.

• Plant-based pyramid bags
• Ethical Tea Partnership
• FSC-certified packaging
• Small-batch, seasonal sourcing

On ritual, tradition, and the patience of good tea

There is a particular kind of patience required to make great tea, and an equal patience required to appreciate it. The ritual of boiling water, choosing a blend, watching the pyramid bag bloom in the cup: these are small acts that do something measurable to the pace of a day.

Tea culture has always understood this. High tea traditions across Britain, gong fu ceremony in China, the elaborate preparation of Japanese matcha, the daily chai ritual across the Indian subcontinent — all of them are expressions of the same truth: that the act of making tea is inseparable from the act of drinking it.

"My understanding of tea came from living with it, not studying it. I saw how it moved through daily life, how people gathered around it, and how much attention went into getting it right."

— Ashok Dias, Founder · Tea Drop

That understanding is not learned from books. It comes from proximity, from seasons spent watching how different elevations, different soils, and different harvest timings produce entirely different expressions in the cup. It is craft knowledge, passed between people rather than preserved in manuals, and it takes generations to accumulate.

It is also, increasingly, at risk. As tea production scales and convenience dominates, the quiet artistry of the tea garden gets compressed into commodity. International Tea Day exists in part as a recognition of that tension: a reminder that the alternative still exists, for those who seek it out.

Twenty-two years in Melbourne

Ashok grew up in Sri Lanka, in a family with three generations of tea merchants and farmers behind them. He came to Australia not simply to sell tea, but to reconnect a new audience with the soulful, careful work that precedes every cup. That mission has not changed.

This May, as Tea Drop turns 22 and International Tea Day approaches, the occasion feels less like coincidence and more like purpose.

The 22nd Anniversary Signature Collection

To mark the occasion, we've launched a limited anniversary collection: six signature blends, each in a complementary tin, chosen to accompany every moment of the day: from the first cup of the morning to the last pause before sleep.

Six tins. One hundred and fifty pyramid bags. Free delivery. Valued at $200, available for $100.

The collection is available now, online and in-store at Brew Bar. It will not return once it sells out.

Explore the collection

• 1 ½ tsp Turmeric Latte
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp rolled oats
• 30 ml almond milk
• 1 cup coconut water
• 2 cups ice
• Coconut yoghurt (optional)

How to make smoothie

• Combine oats and milk in a small bowl, allow to soak overnight refrigerated.
• Place Turmeric Latte, oat mix, maple syrup, coconut water and ice in a blender and pulse into a frappé consistency.
• Pour into a glass and top with yoghurt to serve!

Our Turmeric Latte blend combines turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and black pepper to create a fresh and spicy flavour rich in health benefits.

We decided to give this classic recipe a little Tea Drop twist by switching out the coffee with our very own Tea Drop Matcha. By adding matcha to the mix you unlock a whole new dimension of versatile flavour, leaving a lingering sweetness in your mouth after every bite. Not to forget matcha is packed full of antioxidants and is a great coffee replacement as it gives you clean energy without the coffee crash!

What you need:

• 6 large egg yolks
• 170g brown sugar
• 450g mascarpone cheese
• 235ml heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons Tea Drop Matcha Latte and a little extra for sifting
• 4 tablespoons Kithul treacle 
• 350ml water
• 24-30 ladyfingers

 How to make the tiramisu cream:

1. In a medium saucepan whisk 6 egg yolks until they are slightly lighter in color. Add 170g brown sugar while continuing to whisk the yolks until thick and creamy.
2. Place saucepan over a double boiler and let it steam and keep whisking till soft peaks form.
3. In a sperate bowl whisk 450g of mascarpone till it’s smooth.
4. Now combine that with egg yolk/sugar mixture and fold together. (make sure there are no lumps)
5. In a separate bowl whisk the heavy cream but not too hard because we don’t want the cream to get too thick, we want it to be nice and fluffy.
6. Now combine that with the mascarpone and fold together.

Assembly:

1. Add 2 tablespoons of matcha and 4 tablespoons of kithul treacle to baking pan with 350ml of hot water.
2. Whisk the tea in a back-and-forth motion until the surface of the matcha becomes frothy.
3. Dunk lady fingers into matcha mixture (not for too long as it may fall apart very quickly) and line them up in a separate baking pan evenly,  so the bottom is covered.
4. Once the bottom is filled add half of the tiramisu cream on top.
5. Now arrange another layer of matcha dipped lady fingers on top and add remaining tiramisu cream on top.

• 250ml fresh watermelon juice
• 4 large strawberries
• 3tsp Strawberry Guava brewed in 100ml water
• 100ml vodka (optional)
• Watermelon Sugar by Harry Styles

How to make

Step 1: Play Watermelon Sugar by Harry Styles. (this is a vital part of this recipe)

Step 2: Add all ingredients to a blender and blend till smooth.