With locations in cities such as Asheville, Vermont, and Prague, Dobra Tea has built a reputation for its wide selection of high-quality teas and unique atmosphere. The tea house had a beautiful and long run in downtown Portland thanks to Ellen Kanner and her husband, Ray.
In 2009, Ellen and Ray decided to open a teahouse in Portland after being away from Maine for 10 years. Ellen went to college in Maine and worked at the Portland Press Herald before moving out to California and exploring the west. They were living in New Hampshire and visited a Dobra Tea in Burlington, Vermont many times, and eventually inquired about opening a tearoom in Portland. A visit to Prague in early 2010 to meet the founders of Dobra Cajovna lead to Ellen and her husband’s dream of doing just that!
Ellen and Ray had owned the tearoom for 12 years, but unfortunately, with all the changes COVID brought, they made the hard decision to close. They knew it was time to explore tea in a new way. They decided to focus on diving deeper into the fascinating and unique tea true-to-origin journey, and bring that to customers through partnerships with various Maine based local businesses - like SKORDO!
“There's so much to explore with tea!” says, Ellen.
What really sets Dobra Tea apart is its selection of teas. The teas they offer are extensive, with options ranging from classic black teas to rare and exotic blends. Each tea is carefully selected with Ellen providing knowledge about the origin, flavor profile, and brewing method of each one. Ellen is a journalist and designer by training and loves learning about plants and traveling. “Tea is a journey with each sip, so I aim to share that”, she says.
Over the past 12 years, Ellen and her husband have traveled to origin (where the tea originates and with the producers) including Japan, Korea, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, China, the Azores (one of the few places in Europe growing camellia sinensis) while exploring teahouses.
They currently have plans to offer trips and events centered around tea when they get more grounded after their official closing. They continue to offer whole leaf tea and teaware on their website as well as at events locally. All in the name of exploring the adventure that is tea!
Ellen has worked with our team at SKORDO to help us choose the two perfect teas for us to offer our community.
The Moli Hua Cha is also known as Jasmine Green tea has a floral aroma and flavor that most tea enthusiasts will recognize and Ellen labels "a fan favorite."
While the Assam Brahmaputra is a black tea and also quite widely known for its strong, malty flavor and bright, reddish-brown color.
Overall, Dobra Tea was a special place that offered a one-of-a-kind tea experience and we are so grateful to be able to offer two of their blends to our customers. Whether you're a tea enthusiast or just looking for a cozy and relaxing beverage, Dobra Tea is definitely worth a try.