Gaiwan Series | Master Class: Playing with Gaiwan
This is part of our first class from the WAYS OF TEA PROGRAM – Gawiwan Series,
for more detailed information, please read here.
4 hours (3h guided practice + 1h challenge)
In this master class, the gaiwan becomes a vessel for exploration, a precise yet playful tool: every pouring point, angle, and swirl writes a different story in the cup.
You will learn to map the gaiwan like a clock — exploring pours at 6/12, 7/5, and 3/9 o’clock — and experience how each sets the leaves into horizontal spins, vertical spirals, or a steady, anchored infusion. Through guided experiments, the same tea reveals multiple faces as you compare outcomes side by side. We will also match techniques to tea types, building a practical compass for brewing oolong, black, and pu’er.
The session culminates in a live brewing challenge: each participant receives a tea they have not practiced before and must apply their skills to draw out its most vivid expression. A playful, advanced, and highly sensory way to integrate everything learned.
What you will learn:
- Mapping the Gaiwan: Treating the rim as a clock — practicing pours at 6/12, 7/5, and 3/9 o’clock, and observing how each sets the leaves into horizontal spins, vertical spirals, or a steady, anchored infusion.
- Flow & Pressure: How pouring height, angle, and lid control affect aroma release, mouthfeel, and clarity.
- Experiential Practice: Side-by-side tastings of the same tea under different pouring methods, experiencing directly how technique reshapes flavor.
- Tea-Specific Strategies: Matching pouring styles to tea types — oolong, black, pu’er — and developing a practical compass for adapting methods.
- Final Challenge: Each participant brews an unfamiliar tea, applying their skills to draw out its most vivid expression. A playful, advanced, and highly sensory way to integrate everything learned.
Designed for: those who wish to walk the path from technique to artistry, from familiarity to mastery,