Ceremonial Tea in Canada's Rocky Mountains with Jolene Brewster
Published March 31st, 2024
Photography by Kateryna Topol
“The importance of a tea ceremony was brought to my attention at a very young age,” shared Jolene Brewster, founder of Jolene’s Tea House in Banff, Alberta. “I loved sitting at the table with my teacup listening to grownups talk,” she added. A good cup of tea can certainly stimulate a conversation, I thought to myself reflecting on my own childhood.
Here in the mountains, tea is subtly intertwined into daily practices. You’ll want a hot cup of tea after a cold day out, you might bring a thermos on the hike, sit down for High Tea at the Fairmont Hotel, or embark on a tea-inspired cocktail trail across Banff Village. Some of these notions are historic. Lake Agnes Trail, for example, takes you up to a teahouse built by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1901. This teahouse has served as a refugee for hikers ever since.
According to Jolene, who grew up here in rural Alberta, tea is an important aspect of mountaineering. “When you go into the mountains you would never take a thermos of coffee,” she pointed out. “Coffee is much too heavy and would be incredibly dehydrating, for many logistical reasons, it is not a good choice. But tea is ideal, it’s hydrating, it gives you that little bit of energy, it hydrates…” People who choose to live in Banff speak of the mountains fondly. It is a kind of romance one often feels at first sight. Those who lived in the region for a long time became avid skiers, seeking extreme adventures that can only be found by ways of heli-skiing or backcountry. Jolene spoke of the ski hills with a similar flare. I asked her if drinking tea on all these mountain adventures is what inspired her to start a tea company, “No,” she jumped to answer, “I’ve been doing this for 20 years, I just love tea,” she smiled.
“I have no plans to expand, this is my community, this is where I am.”
The Brewsters are one of the founding families in Banff so these mountains are her home. After spending a few years in Australia and learning about the importance of herbs from a naturopath Jolene moved home and pursued her passion for tea as a career. The tea is sourced directly through personal connections as often as possible. “All of our green tea come directly from Japan, for example, but our teas use over 80 different ingredients” so in some instances, wholesale suppliers are used, free-trade, and always organically certified.
The Tea House opened in 2021, after many years of operating online. Located in the heart of Banff Village on Bear Street (all streets here have wildlife names) Jolene’s Tea House is one of Banff’s most historic buildings, the Old Crag Cabin, built in 1890. It is a traditional log cabin with high ceilings and shelves upon shelves of tea and locally made accompaniments. The interior of the shop has minimal sitting but a row of Muskoka chairs, adorned with heavy blankets, are lined up outside to facilitate your any-time tea break.
Throughout our conversation, Jolene kept mentioning the “tea ceremony,” describing various situations in which tea is at the center. How it brings people together, and how it can help you bond with your kids. It quickly became evident that the way Jolene sees the “tea ceremony” is not a structured ancient tradition but a focused moment with friends, family, or environment that can only be taken in whilst relaxing with a comforting cup of tea. The Teahouse on Bear Street is a shop, but it is also a place where you can come to get inspired by tea, learn about the area, and walk out with something that can be steeped into a memory down the line.
A day into my visit I noticed Jolene’s Tea everywhere. It is there at brunch, it is an infusion at the local brewery and even steeped into cocktails down the street. Banff is a tight-knit community divided into local transients (seasonal workers) and those who live there full-time year-round. To operate a business in such a community one must earn their stripes and Jolene attributes much of her success to being an active member of this town. “I have no plans to expand, this is my community, this is where I am”.
Kateryna Topol
Toronto-based travel photographer, freelance writer, and content creator Kateryna tells stories through a lens of curiosity and appreciation setting the scene for armchair travelers and travel planners alike. These experiences are for urban dwellers and adventurers, people looking to escape their daily routine to see new places, take in new cultures, be active in the wild, wine and dine the world’s cuisine, or relax in the quiet of a luxury spa. She is the Toronto Travel Massive chapter leader and founder of North American music magazine, QuipMag.com.
Connect with her on Instagram @katerryna and at pathstotravel.com.