It's been said that every journey begins with one step, but what about one steep? Of tea, that is.
Online shop Wolfdôr is built on the belief that taste is transportive. However, this shop doesn't focus on trips down memory lane. Instead, it brings to life new adventures, actualizing flavors only known by hearts, not tastebuds. Wolfdôr teas are inspired by the stories we love and are crafted to taste otherworldly — literally.
Spilling the Tea
Wolfdôr was started last November by two childhood friends and all-around story lovers, Nicholas Cafarelli and Kylar Chopyk.
“We wanted to hold something in our hands and imagine it was from one of the worlds we grew up watching," Cafarelli said. “Tea is a really good way to do that because you can make so many different flavors to help connect people to stories. Also, really anyone can enjoy tea."
With a cup of Wolfdôr tea, fans around the world can sip on Skooma from Skyrim or brew their own batch of Polyjuice Potion from the wizarding world.
Cafarelli said he considers tea an art, given the amount of precision and care that goes into each bag. At Wolfdôr, the entire process is creative — turning stories into tangible, consumable products takes a healthy dose of imagination.
While some teas have a clear end goal, like the butterscotch and vanilla notes in Wolfdôr's bestseller, Butterbeer, other flavors require more experimentation. After all, J.K. Rowling (understandably) never divulged a flavor profile for Hagrid's Hut, but according to Wolfdôr it's "a sweet and earthy blend of black tea and chai. . . with Hogwarts allspice and Forbidden Forest ginger."
Cafarelli and Chopyk carefully select every ingredient that goes into their teas, including Ontario-grown apples and Florida-grown oranges. The dehydrated fruit ingredients, base teas and spices are blended together and shipped out on a weekly basis. Finished teas are packed into small, burlap sacks and wrapped with custom labels. A candle is used to individually burn the edges of each label for a rustic look, a process Cafarelli describes as terribly inefficient, but worth the results.
Steeping Stories to Life
Just over a year old, Wolfdôr is currently specializing in only a few fandoms. However, Cafarelli said there are plans to add more stories soon, once they can better manage the demand for Harry Potter teas, the store’s most popular products.
With international shipping and customers from the United States, France, the Philippines and more, Wolfdôr is truly helping a world of fans connect with their favorite stories — one steep at a time.