NEW ISSUE 18 OF EIGHTY MAGAZINE

The new issue has arrived

Issue 18: Edge

Not the cliff. Not the blade.

The rim of a pressed tea cake, where the pick goes in. The hem of a sleeve, and what it covers. The riverbank across from the trouble. The edge is not where things end — it's where you enter.

Issue 18 begins on skin. Kenshō Suzuoka works in horimono, traditional Japanese tattooing, a craft whose finest work stays hidden under clothing and is revealed only when it matters. He tells his own story — the master, the lineage, the move from Japan to the Netherlands — and what is lost when something concealed is brought into the open.

From there the issue crosses to Portland, where a teahouse pours tea a river's width from the tear gas, and the rest becomes part of the resistance. To a kitchen at 3 a.m., where a Congolese chef and an Italian one invent dishes that fit into neither of their traditions — and don't need to.

To a monastery in Chengdu, where a week-long tea course promised beauty but ran on discipline. To the plantations of Assam, where elephants pass through on routes older than the tea. To Korea, where one man rebuilt a vanished tea from the lines of a 13th-century poem.

And to the sea, which decided why half the world says tea and the other half says cha.

— Martin, founder of Eighty

10 Tea Trends That Will Shape 2026, and Why Only a Few Will Truly Define the Future

Tea is increasingly recognised as a premium beverage category, with growing interest across hospitality, gastronomy and the wider food and beverage sector. However, supporting this growth requires more than increasing demand—it also requires stronger knowledge, standards and professional structures.

In this article, published by koffieTcacao, ESTA President Bernadine Tay explores ten trends shaping today’s tea sector, from the resurgence of loose-leaf tea and the rise of matcha to traceability, sustainability and the growing importance of the tea experience.

📌 Please note: The article will remain freely accessible until 12 July 2026.

t – THE MAGAZINE FOR TEA CULTURE

t– The Magazine for Tea Culture is an independent journalistic project, dedicated to telling the stories around the most enjoyable and culturally significant drink in the world. It is directed at common tea drinkers as well as members of the tea community, both professionals and enthusiasts. 

Two years ago, T-Magazine began as a small, independent, German-language grassroots project. This year, having grown enough, they went international by launching their first issue in English in March.

T-Magazine is now available in both German and English. Look out for their second International Edition, coming at the end of September.

ESTA members can get a discount for the International Edition. Get the discount code HERE

T-Magazine would also be available for any interviews or shared messages

 LEVELLING UP COFFEE AND TEA

For media enquiries, please contact: hello@specialityteaeurope.com