The Cultured Cup
13731 Omega Road • Farmers Branch, TX 75244
972-960-1521 • theculturedcup.com
When the likes of Julie Andrews, President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush, and Sir Anthony Hopkins all raved over your premium teas, then you know that you are creating something phenomenal. The accolades for these supreme teas can be attributed to Kyle Stewart and Phil Krampetz, co-owners of The Cultured Cup in Farmers Branch, Texas.
With Kyle’s background in receiving multiple degrees from renowned music schools, teaching collegiate classes, and managing international marketing for a global company and Phil’s mechanical engineering degree and master’s in finance, it is a quandary how these two gentlemen ended up in the tea world. “My voice teacher at Northwestern University, whose international singing career took her around the world, made me my first sublime cup of oolong tea,” Kyle divulges. “My love affair with tea began here and encouraged me to meet international students from tea-drinking countries and to travel to Malaysia, where I visited my first tea plantation in the Cameron Highlands.” That first cup of tea completely altered the trajectory of his life and thus brought us the genius that is the almost 30-years-old Cultured Cup. A respected tea educator, Kyle has also given a tea-themed TEDxSMU talk, and the company was named “Best Tea Business in the U.S.” at the 2019 World Tea Awards.
Kyle and Phil purchased an already established coffee business in 1995 and transformed the company into what it is today. The dynamic pair were on a mission to bring high-quality, delicious beverages to their neck of the woods in Texas. They aimed to find the best coffee, tea, and drinking chocolates to source from around the globe. “We first established a business relationship with Mariage Frères, a renowned tea business located in Paris, France,” Kyle remarks. “To add drinking chocolate to our product mix, a second historically significant beverage, we flew to Belgium to take a two-day chocolate course at Callebaut, a renowned chocolate company. Lastly, we consulted with a world-renowned coffee connoisseur who sources coffee from his own coffee plantations.” After much research and careful curation of fine elixirs to add to the company’s repertoire, The Cultured Cup was more than adequately prepared for customers to have a divine sipping experience with whatever beverage they may choose.
A visit to the warm, inviting, and modern space is perfect for both the tea beginner and the connoisseur. “Our weekly Saturday open tastings and online and in-house classes continually attract demographically and ethnically diverse customers to our store to learn through guided tasting experiences,” Kyle notes. “Several customers call us the United Nations of Tea!” Their inventory on the tea side includes blacks, darks, greens, oolongs, whites, and tisanes. Tea wares for preparing, serving, and storing are also available for purchase. The favorites among both the customers and the staff include, but are not limited to, Marco Polo by Mariage Frères, Cream Oolong from Nantou Taiwan, Kukicha from Shizuoka, Japan, and Ancient Tree Tea from China. The Artisan Tea Collection embodies the brand’s most interesting and exotic offerings picked by the owners and team members. Making the cut for this exclusive assemblage are Masala chais, Dragonwell greens of various grades, Darjeelings, senchas, and jasmine teas, just to name a few.
If you are looking for an educational sensory experience, a new tea to try that might become your favorite, or simply a leisurely afternoon spent sipping comforting beverages and befriending like-minded people at the tea bar, then an outing to The Cultured Cup is calling.
The Cultured Cup’s products are available in store and online. The store is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
