Blended "Golden Fire" tea featuring ginger, turmeric slices, cinnamon, cloves, turmeric powder, honey bush, pepper and chili powder.

Dragon Well Tea Shop can accommodate up to 6 customers who want to taste different teas.

Will Schmidt of Longjing Teahouse poured a cup of "Sunshine Cup" tea into the cup.

A cup of "A Cup of Sunshine" tea is a blend of green shrubs, hibiscus, pepper, bee pollen, natural cranberry flavor, pink grapefruit essential oil and stevia.

Tea in the store is sold in ounces or individual tea bags.

Will Schmitt was introduced to North Adams for the first time as a volunteer at the past FreshGrass Music Festival.

Blended "Golden Fire" tea featuring ginger, turmeric slices, cinnamon, cloves, turmeric powder, honey bush, pepper and chili powder.

Dragon Well Tea Shop can accommodate up to 6 customers who want to taste different teas.

Will Schmidt of Longjing Teahouse poured a cup of "Sunshine Cup" tea into the cup.

A cup of "A Cup of Sunshine" tea is a blend of green shrubs, hibiscus, pepper, bee pollen, natural cranberry flavor, pink grapefruit essential oil and stevia.

Tea in the store is sold in ounces or individual tea bags.

Will Schmitt was introduced to North Adams for the first time as a volunteer at the past FreshGrass Music Festival.

At the Longjing tea shop in North Adams, named after the owner Will Schmitt’s favorite green tea variety, you will find handmade jasmine pearls, a loose herbal mixture with a black pepper flavor, and other varieties ranging from spicy to sweet to classic.

Not ready to go out yet? Don't worry: Schmidt and his tea party come to you by bicycle, car, or the old U.S. postal service.

A transplanter from Iowa discovered North Adams by serving as a FreshGrass Festival volunteer, and Schmidt’s tea shop recently celebrated six months of opening. To combat epidemic restrictions, he caused a sensation on Instagram, established an online ordering system, and conducted free face-to-face delivery throughout North Berkshire.

"I feel very lucky—and relieved," Schmidt said of the more than six-month mark. "I'm glad I came to a little remote town, where people care about each other, and there we have our own tourism industry."

Schmitt has worked in the financial industry as a lecturer and traveling musician at the Wilderness School. When he was studying North Adams, "I saw that there was no tea house there," he said. "It has been a while since opening a tea house."

His love for tea began very early.

"When I was 6 years old, it surprised me for the first time," he said, remembering drinking jasmine tea from a steel teapot in a restaurant on a family outing. "I think this is the most wonderful thing I have tasted so far."

Working in the financial sector, his office is just around the corner from a tea shop, which gives him the opportunity to explore various blended teas and their origins, and create afternoon tea rituals for his colleagues. No matter what happens that day, their afternoon tea is a moment to take a step back and have a hot drink—"the little things that make life more comfortable," Schmidt said. "This is one of the most primitive things."

Dragon Well purchases tea from three small suppliers and offers more than 30 varieties on the Internet and Eagle Street stores. If you can't arrive by standard time, Schmitt will make an appointment for those who want a more intimate tea shop experience.

Schmitt sells bulk tea in individual tea bags. The sampler size allows 3 to 5 cups, or per ounce, all freshly packed according to the order. Customers can also try tea inside, providing customers with space (currently COVID-19 limit can accommodate up to 6 people) to sit and enjoy a warm mint, floral, fruity or herbal drink.

In the future, Schmidt hopes to bring Longjing tea into the local mom-and-pop shop and may extend the shop's business hours. He has established contacts with other local businesses and hosted pop-up tea sampling nights at locations in downtown North Adams, such as Plant Connector, a new plant shop on Eagle Street.

"I am very happy to be a member of the small business community here," he said. "I want to see what I can do in a smaller town, but there are so many things to do."

What: Longjing Tea Shop

Location: 149 Eagle St., North Adams

More information: www.dragonwellteashop.com; Dragonwellberkshires@gmail.com; Instagram/Facebook: @DragonWellBerkshires

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