TeaBuds Brewing Co. opened on Dec. 17 and has quickly gained popularity through word of mouth and other advertising. It is located in downtown Carmel and appeals to people of all age groups, offering a different taste and style than the surrounding small shops and eateries. We recommend everyone give it a try; it’s not perfect, but it’s a unique experience you shouldn’t miss out on. Plus, it’s just a five-minute walk from school.

We were impressed with the presentation and hospitality from the moment we entered the store. The owner greeted us, thoroughly explained which options were available and welcomed any questions we had. The store is small and intimate, yet it doesn’t feel cramped; rather, it has a cozy café effect. However, we wouldn’t recommend bringing more than one or two friends at a time, as it can get crowded easily, especially in the back corner where the barista makes the drinks, the cashier takes your order and customers browse merchandise. On the other hand, there are two tables outside for customers to enjoy their drinks if the weather is nice or if the interior fills up. There is also a sample table outside that allows passersby to take a sip of a featured beverage.

If bubble tea doesn’t appeal to you, TeaBuds also serves coffee and other refreshments. While waiting for their orders, customers can browse a multitude of merchandise, including travel mugs, loose teas and tea ware. It doesn’t take long for the bubble tea to be prepared and served; our drinks were ready within minutes of placing the order. The eco-friendly serving cups made of corn complement to the environmental theme displayed throughout the bright green store.

The cost is not very friendly to high school students’ wallets: The bubble tea runs pricey at $4 per order, not including tax. Treat it like a Starbucks—a luxury drink that is a once-in-a-blue-moon indulgence.
We agreed on our overall impression of TeaBuds, as you’ve read above. But when it came to the bubble tea taste and quality, we had differing opinions. Here are our takes:

Monica, green tea+ pomegranate + tapioca pearls
At least once every year, my family and I would make the three-hour drive to Chicago and visit Chinatown, where I would always order a bubble drink. Bubble drinks have always been my favorite. It doesn’t matter whether it’s bubble tea or bubble smoothie; I love anything that has “bubbles” in it. So when I heard the positive reactions about the opening of TeaBuds Brewing Co., I had high hopes and was excited to try it out.

If there’s one thing most small stores like TeaBuds struggle to provide, it’s variety. But TeaBuds has variety, and it has it in spades. There are three steps to ordering bubble tea, the first being the tea base: green, black or rooibos. For that part, I played safe and chose green tea. The next step is the tea flavor: strawberry, peach, blueberry, kiwi and many more. When it comes to fruity drinks, I usually like to order mango-flavored ones, but that day at TeaBuds I decided to branch out and try something different. So it was pomegranate for me. The last step is my favorite: tapioca pearls, aloe jellies, strawberry popping boba or mango popping boba. This was a no-brainer for me: tapioca pearls, of course.

My pomegranate bubble tea was quite good; the first few sips were the best. I relished the tapioca pearls, which were personally my favorite part of the drink. For those who aren’t familiar, the pearls are fun, flavorless, chewy surprises as you make your way through the drink. The pomegranate flavor was refreshing, and I could hardly tell I was technically drinking a tea. I can’t say this bubble tea beats the bubble teas in Chicago, but it comes close to matching it—if only the pomegranate flavor was more rich. One word of warning: Be sure to finish your drink before the ice melts, because once that happens, your bubble tea turns into a watered-down version of what you had once found delightful.

Katie, green tea + mango + tapioca pearls
For my inaugural bubble tea experience, I ordered a green-tea-based, mango-flavored concoction with tapioca pearls. It really is like nothing you’ve ever had: gummy, flavorless beads travel up the oversize straw as you slurp your drink, which can either be viewed as a welcome addition or a strange surprise. The pearls give bubble tea its namesake, but I personally found them to be a nuisance.

The mango syrup in my drink made the bubble tea taste too sweet and overpowered the tea flavor. In terms of appearance, my bubble tea had a milky yellow hue, whereas I expected a more vibrant orange color. I envisioned bubble tea to be thicker and richer than my watered-down drink, and the melting ice didn’t help the situation. However, TeaBuds does offer a plethora of options, and ultimately the drink you receive is the result of your selected tea base, flavoring and pearl combination. Don’t like it? Try a different trio next time. TeaBuds Brewing Co. offers decent bubble tea for those interested in sampling this Asian beverage. In the end, though, bubble tea just isn’t my cup of tea.