Glass that travels
The first travel tea kit wasn’t a product — it was a habit. Sommeliers moving between cities would wrap a gaiwan in a napkin and hope for the best. Today that optimism has shape: a case that fits a full glass brewing set, leaving room for a few grams of dancong and a folded tasting spoon. Glass matters because on the road, you lose the luxury of a fixed lighting setup. The transparency of borosilicate gives you an honest window into the leaf — the first unfurling, the colour of a steep, the way the tea dances inside the gaiwan. Our kits are built around the idea that a 10-minute session on a folding table can feel as composed as service in a dining room.
We work with Sandry Law, a small workshop that treats travel cases the way bespoke tailors treat a suit. Their canvas is stiff enough to protect glass but soft enough to compress into a daypack. The leather deluxe patinas over the years, recording a career in scuffs and tea stains. Each kit is tuned to a specific rhythm: the small canvas for minimalist packs, the leather deluxe for client-facing calm, the pair edition for when you’re teaching someone on the move. You’ll find the full ritual of gōngfū chá condensed into 400 grams and a leather buckle. For the technique behind that ritual, our professional tea service course at tea.school walks through water temperature, pour timing, and palate calibration — the skills that turn a travel kit into a portable tasting room. And if you’re curious about the gear that lives alongside glass, tea.equipment has a dedicated section on gongfu ware that complements these kits beautifully.
Three ways to carry your craft
Each kit shares the same core — one glass gaiwan, one pitcher, two cups — but the case changes the character. Choose by how you travel, not just what you brew.