If you’re reading this with a coffee cup – or pint glass – in your hand, you might be surprised to learn that, after water, the most consumed beverage in the world is tea.
That liquid news flash is on my mind while I’m out running errands on a Saturday afternoon in early December. I’ve had my fill of coffee for the day. I want a warm drink but don’t want to feel wired. I cruise down to Urbal Tea (3060 S. 13th St.), the city’s only dedicated tea shop. The menu behind the bar has conventional black and green teas, available hot and cold, but also herbal, wellness (targeting health concerns like sleep and digestion) and apothecary (linked to herbal medicine) teas made right there. I end up choosing Berry Well, a non-caffeinated blend of elderberry, currants, hibiscus petals, ginseng and other herbs. It’s fruity and bold and keeps me calm but alert as I fight some unexpected traffic on the drive home.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
Owner Nick Nowaczyk opened this 3,000-square-foot café and production space last summer, 10 years after first selling his handmade herbal blends at farmers markets. Nowaczyk says he’s been interested in plants since he was a kid, fishing and picking berries and mushrooms at his family’s Northwoods cabin. After college, as he started a career in social work, his interest in creating plant infusions only intensified. Nowaczyk even spent 18 months studying with an herbalist.
He presents his knowledge in a way that educates but doesn’t overwhelm. He also doesn’t limit the menu to the ancient drink he’s spent much of his life exploring. You can, for example, order a latte to go with a muffin or gourmet Rice Krispie treat. As you’re reading this, the Urbal menu may have expanded to soups, sandwiches and salads – extra reasons to linger, sip and learn more about the esoteric world delivered to your cup.
