Tea and murals. Pairing tea and street art in San Francisco
San Francisco has a high concentration of street art. As a person with a strong passion for art, living in The City by The Bay has inspired me to seek art beyond traditional settings and has helped me understand that beauty can be part of my everyday life anytime, anywhere. Same with tea, my daily ritual, in pursuit of beauty.
What is The Tea Squirrel doing on the streets of San Francisco? She’s drinking tea, of course! Tea deserves more attention, and so does art. I’m going to show you around the city and pair out-of-the-ordinary “works of street art” with teas that tickle my imagination.
Beauty can be found anywhere, often in unexpected places, sometimes it’s in a tea cup, sometimes it’s just around the corner.
This gorgeous work of art is “The Botanical Mural” by San Francisco-based mural artist Mona Caron. It's located at Church St and 22d St, not far from Mission Dolores Park. It features wild plants and weeds, a dragonfly and butterflies. The artist drew inspiration from plants growing in the cracks of the sidewalk in front of the wall. She looked for beauty where no one would think of looking for it and she found it.
I’m pairing this mural with White Tea Congou by Imperial Tea Court. It’s a Fujian black tea made from a white tea varietal. I discovered it thanks to my friend and fellow tea blogger Geoffrey Norman of Steep Stories. Unexpected smoky notes fade into chocolate-y notes, sweet notes and floral notes more typical of a white tea. I ended up finding something I would have otherwise overlooked, like the plants growing in the cracks of the sidewalk.
Launching the hashtag #teaandmurals ! Next time you see a mural that inspires you, grab a cup of tea, take a pic and tag The Tea Squirrel on social media for a chance to be featured! I can’t wait to see all your pics!
Disclaimer: I was not paid to mention or review businesses, products or services mentioned in this blog post. This is my honest opinion.
