TEA MAINEIA
115 Main Street • Winterport, ME 04496
207-223-5133 • teamaineia.com
Standing amid tall cases filled with tins of tea, Dan Holmes explains that this enterprise began with wife Debbie’s love of loose-leaf tea—and the long distance she had to drive to get the decaf Darjeeling she favored. One day, Dan had a bolt-from-the-blue vision for their own tea shop, an idea so vivid he could picture every detail, right down to the décor.
As a self-professed “cliff diver,” Debbie was ready to plunge right in. Instead, the two did copious research, including a visit to the World Tea Expo in Philadelphia, and soon they began selling tea out of their home, at local events, and at a farmers’ market. Buoyed by community support, Dan’s original vision now plays out in this storefront, bearing the home-state-proud name of Tea Maineia.
The Holmeses sell more than 70 varieties of tea, including their own blends, and Dan happily demystifies the often-intimidating process of brewing loose-leaf tea. They also offer tea-related wares like the tea cozies Debbie makes and the aprons stitched by a nearby resident. Though Debbie works as a nurse during the week, she joins Dan on the weekends, when they host tea events, often spotlighting one country’s tea for the day or holding blindfold tastings to see if patrons can discern between samples.
