Tea Light: The Understudy

The Understudy is a space focused on three core principals: discovery, community, and collaboration. Founded by Adam Todd Crawford and Danny Fender, they’ve created an environment that fosters and uplifts the artistry within their community. We at Spirit are proud to be a part of the artistry found within their menu.

WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR TEA AT THE UNDERSTUDY?

When I'm designing The Understudy's tea menu, I'm aiming to balance reliable mainstay options with unique seasonal offerings.

A robust and varied tea menu invites conversation and exploration. It brings people back for two, three cups in one visit (and doesn't induce a caffeine frenzy!)

HOW DOES SPIRIT TEA ALIGN WITH THE UNDERSTUDY'S ETHOS?

The Understudy aims to highlight the hard work that it takes to make beautiful things. Tea is an ancient craft! The plant itself demands a major investment of time and stewardship before it yields a viable crop.

Spirit aligns with our values by partnering closely with tea farmers; they invest in long-term relationships that are mutually beneficial and deeply meaningful. Spirit also does a beautiful job of telling the "story" of the tea: where it's from, who grew it, and why it stands out from the rest. We're a cast of storytellers at The Understudy, and we love welcoming our guests into the tea's story.

HOW DOES YOUR COMMUNITY ENJOY TEA AT THE UNDERSTUDY?

Customers at The Understudy enjoy loose leaf tea year round as a hot beverage. With our volume, we unfortunately don't have the ability to offer resteeps. However, I highly advise resteeping if your business can accommodate!

We also pre-batch Sunstone Iced Tea in the warmer months to meet the higher demand.

In the near future, The Understudy aims to offer a curated cocktail menu as a companion to our ever-growing event programming. Spirit tea and Metric coffee will play principal roles on our roster, appearing often in seasonally rotating cocktail specials and n/a offerings.

HOW HAS THE UNDERSTUDY BENEFITED FROM A SEASONAL TEA PROGRAM?

The Understudy was founded as a community space for Chicago's theatre practitioners. Theatre is an ephemeral art that can be meditative and healing, but you must be present and attentive to feel the impact. Tea is the same: seasonal/ephemeral, meditative, and healing.

Spirit Tea leans into the ephemeral by championing small lots, and naming teas after the farms and farmers who grow them. We proudly offer 7 seasonal teas on top of the perennials: Kodama Sencha, Sunstone, and Rooibos.

Staff and customers alike become invested in their favorite teas, and we mournfully pour the final cup when it comes around. Collectively, we transform a drink into a communal experience.

We're proud to offer a product with such care behind it, and to extend that care to our customers.