Crimson Lotus Tea
Seattle pu-erh specialist founded by Glen and Lamu Bowers in 2014. One of the most respected American pu-erh importers; in-person Seattle tea events anchor a community.
Crimson Lotus Tea is among the most respected American pu-erh-focused operations. Glen Bowers (an American long-resident in China) and his wife Lamu (a Tibetan native) founded the company in 2014 with deep direct relationships across Yunnan pu-erh producers. The Seattle operation handles both retail and a substantial wholesale relationship with pu-erh-serious cafes and tea shops nationally.
The catalog spans young sheng pressings (newer trees, traditional gushu old-tree material, single-village micro-lots), aged sheng pressings from various decades, shou pu-erh, lao cha tou (the pile-fermentation byproduct that forms during shou production and is sold as its own product category), and adjacent dark teas like Liu Bao. The Seattle physical presence anchors a community of pu-erh-focused drinkers and the in-person tasting events have become regular destinations for serious specialty tea travelers visiting the Pacific Northwest.
Focus areas
Tea types carried
- Pu-erh sheng
- Pu-erh shou
- Liu Bao
- Aged tea