KIRKLAND, Wash. — Amy and Will Riffle call what they do at LizzyKate in Kirkland, a modern take on tea.
Everything from their unique process to the product itself merges the old with the new.
"Our matcha lattes are really popular," Will shared. "Our Butterscotch Latte is really popular!"
While LizzyKate is inspired by the traditional, their technique is high tech. They use what's called a BKON craft brewer, which uses negative pressure to steep tea in only a minute. Amy had to be convinced to use it. She had lived in Japan for several years and fell in love with the calming rituals and the art of making tea.
"Within a year, I said we need another one!" Amy said. "It can be even better with machines because the vacuum system gets the air out of the tea leaves and brings more flavor out, so the teas are more flavorful when people make it at home."
And for the lattes they have another trick.
"We make a concentrate of the tea that helps get the flavor through the milk," Will explained. "So, when people have our lattes they say, 'I can taste the tea and not just milk or sweetener.'"
It makes sense this duo would merge the old with the new. They spent 17 years in the technology industry owning and operating web hosting and data centers.
"This is very different. That was Will's passion, this is mine," Amy shared. "I have discovered tea is as complex as wine. There's always something new to learn about tea."
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