Grandpa Style Green Tea: How to Brew Loose Leaves in a Glass

Leaves floating past your nose take a little getting used to. That is part of grandpa style green tea: the leaves stay in the glass while you drink, and you add more water as you go. There is no basket to lift out.

I like the simplicity of the idea. The catch is that the tea keeps steeping. A generous scoop that works in a teapot can become a rather stern cup when it sits beside your keyboard.

Illustration for Natural Green Tea.

What you need for grandpa style brewing

Choose a heat-safe glass or mug, drinking water and a small amount of loose leaf green tea. Larger, fairly intact leaves are easier to sip around than tiny fragments. Longjing, also called Dragon Well, is one option to try in a small sample pack. A tall glass is pleasant for watching the leaves open, but an ordinary heat-safe mug works too.

Sparrowtail's brewing guide describes this as a simple method using fewer leaves than a concentrated gongfu brew. That smaller amount matters more than buying special equipment.

A gentle first cup

1. Start light. As a first experiment, try about 2 g of whole leaves in a 300 ml glass. This is an adjustable starting point, not a rule for every tea.
2. Follow the tea's water-temperature advice. Leave room at the top to hold the glass comfortably. No thermometer? My guide to brewing without one explains the limits of judging by waiting time.
3. Let the leaves soften, then taste. Take a small sip once the tea is comfortably drinkable. Some leaves settle sooner than others; there is no need to chase them with a spoon.
4. Top up while some tea remains. Try refilling when about a third is left. Stop when the flavor becomes too weak to enjoy.

Why does it turn bitter?

There is no separate “stop steeping” moment here. If you tend to leave a drink untouched for half an hour, a removable infuser may suit you better. The basket versus tea ball comparison can help you choose one.

If this happens	Try next time
Strong before you finish half	Use fewer leaves.
Too many fragments in each sip	Choose a larger-leaf tea or use a basket.
Refills taste like plain water	Start fresh rather than keep topping up.

For a cup that is bitter even with ordinary timed brewing, see the bitter green tea guide. And if you want small, separate infusions instead of leaves in your drinking glass, a gaiwan offers a different routine.