Albert and Casey Luna believe tea doesn’t get a fair shake. In a world full of coffeehouses and coffee drinkers, tea gets woefully overlooked, so the Lunas decided it was time to balance the scales.
They opened Gruene Tea Haus, one of the Hill Country’s only artisanal tea shops. Its mission: To create an environment where tea lovers can come together and experience diverse and unique teas from around the world.
“Tea is fundamentally different from coffee,” Albert said. “Historically, coffee shops have been the hotbeds of revolution. It’s just something about the beverage. But tea itself is relaxing. So our goal is to just be a relaxing, chill place for people who want to try different teas.”
Gruene Tea Haus specializes in authentic, artisanal loose leaf teas that are free from chemicals and additives. In addition to that, the Lunas aim to share their tea knowledge with their custom- ers, so that no matter what their level experience might be, they can enjoy every cup of tea they drink.
From herbals, greens, tisanes, white and black teas, the Gruene Tea Haus promises chemicaland additive-free loose leaf varieties. In addition, owners Albert and Casey Luna will happily show visitors the optimal way to steep and enjoy every single cup of tea.
“There’s a humongous learning curve,” Albert said. “One is that most Texans grow up on iced tea. Normally, that's going to be sweetened, and iced tea is black tea. There’s nothing wrong with black tea, but this is very sugar-infused and artificially flavored. You don’t find that in nature with tea. Our teas here are naturally infused.”
Casey Luna, who grew up drinking the Earl Grey her mother preferred, didn’t find her own cup of tea until a mission trip to India showed her the world of chai.
“My whole life, I tried green teas and never liked it,” Casey said. “Then I found out, I’ve been steeping it too hot and for too long. That makes it bitter. I didn’t know that, but now I that I do, I enjoy it.”
Casey now enjoys herbal teas, perfectly steeped, usually jasmine or the Moroccan mint green tea, which she likes to drink in the mornings.
Both Albert and Casey Luna expressed difficulty with drinking coffee, which prompted them to explore the world of tea. Together, they discovered a host of health benefits present in drinking tea.
“It’s not that coffee doesn’t have health benefits,” Albert said. “It does, for sure. It’s good for cognition, good for memory, it’s good for your digestion. But most people don’t drink black coffee. They’re gonna Frappuccino it up, right? So whatever benefit you would get from coffee, you can get from tea, without the side effects that you get with coffee.”
The Lunas extol the health benefits of their variety of teas, dedicated to help each person find the perfect cup (or cups) to suit them.
Albert, a native of Houston, spent years exploring the world, living for several years in Alaska and visiting Europe and Asia, where his tea journey began. He worked as a public school teacher for 13 years, where he met Casey — also a teacher — during state testing. Casey Luna was raised in New Braunfels and graduated as a Unicorn. Together they have five children between the ages of six and twelve.
The couple opened Gruene Tea Haus in the spring, doing everything from scratch to create the exact comforting environment in which to share the teas they love.
“It’s got a really great vibe,” Albert said. “It’s a really beautiful place.”
Gruene Tea House also offers tea education classes. The next one — Indulging in the Delicacy of Green Tea — is today from 3 - 4:30 p.m. This class will delve into the nuances, flavors and health benefits of green tea. Cost is $10 per person and can be paid in person at the Gruene Tea Haus, located at 2327 Gruene Lake Dr. in New Braunfels. To reserve a spot online, register at grueneteahaus. com/registration. You can also sign up for the Gruene Tea Haus newsletter to learn about future classes and events.
In parting, Albert Luna said that he hopes to share the world of tea with the people of the Hill Country. “The thing is to bring people to the beauty of tea,” he said. “There’s a reason why it’s the most consumed beverage in the world. There’s a reason why we’ve been drinking it for 4,500 years. No matter where in the world [tea] goes, it belongs, and it tastes amazing.”
This article is Part Two in a three-part series featuring day trips and experiences for families around Central Texas.
The Gruene Tea Haus sells tea and tea accessories, everything from cups and saucer sets, timers and loose tea infusers. The tea house also offers tea education classes to teach tea enthusiasts more about the beloved drink. Photos by Celeste Cook
Luna brews a pot of one of the Gruene Tea Haus’ special teas: Dragonwell.
