Who are your people? They may come in many different groups, across an enterprise of various habitats. Tea has an amazing way of taking the strange and different and mixing them together in harmony. At the Ohio Tea Festival, I met Mark and was instantly taken in by his authentic spirit and his awesome choice of attire! From tea to D&D, Mark’s depth of knowledge is fantastic. I hope you enjoy reading his interview as much as I enjoyed talking with him!

Website: https://www.koboldscup.com/

Location(s) Headquarters: Columbus, Ohio

Company Focus:

• Respect the Little Things. I focus on little farms, little batches, micro lots. The names of the teas come from little spirits and small bits of folklore.  I try and present tea and pottery with a focus around small, experimental, and strange.

Most popular company tea(s)?

• Leshy – Weirdest blend to me, but people love it.

Does the company name have a meaning?

• A Kobold is a German folklore spirit. Miners believed Kobolds come from cobalt mines and were responsible for the effect it had on the miners who worked in the mines. The spirit embodies what my blends are. They sometimes play dangerous pranks, and I like to make risky tea blends. Whimsy and mischief is at the heart of it. And D&D nerds love it.

Do you participate in any charities? 

• Currently Kobold’s Cup does not officially, but I personally do. I donate to various charities personally, mostly representing local people, workers, and reproductive rights. In 2026, I want to have rotating teas to support different organizations.

What is your favorite tea?  

• My gut is immediately saying that it’s a Japanese green tea. A Gyokuro called “the discovery” – most intense green tea experience I’ve ever had.  Also, from Liquid Proust, a Shou Puer. It’s old and I don’t know anything else about it! But it tasted like I walked into a Wizard library and Wizard’s were real. It was amazing.

What are your thoughts on transparency in the tea industry?

• It can mean a lot of things. Coffee and tea are bloody drinks with bloody histories, but its not a thing of the past. Slavery didn’t die, it’s just branded differently. We owe it not just to those drinking teas or making teas but those in the past. We can’t ignore this when we conduct our business. Everyone tries their best, sources from places that are not practicing modern slavery to meet demand but it’s not perfect.
• I strive to source ethically but I can’t tell you for certain what happens every step of the way. Everyone is complicit, and ass people in the industry we can’t ignore it. We are the middle step and we have to do our best.

What role does tea play in our lives?

• The role of tea globally and cultural has changed drastically and so fast. It changes every decade. Many see it as a source of caffeine only; when I ask tea or coffee, sometimes people respond  “Energy Drink”, and I feel they’re missing the point. 
• For me personally tea is the space where I get to breathe. It was my passion at age 12., but I left the pursuit of passion for survival. Kobold’s Cup came about when I asked myself, “When did my dreams die?” It brought back peace and excitement. Tea is the space where I breathe and touch upon my early passions. It is an incredibly vast space to explore, an unhurried, intimate place. Everyone I meet in the community shares this in some ways.  When we drink tea, everything stops. This doesn’t happen at the bar or gym, it’s a unique tea thing.
• As westerns we had to come to tea as a commodity but it’s much more than that. Even with its bloody history, conflict stops over a cup of tea. A breath of fresh air.

Anything else you’d like to add?  

• I think that one of the things I’ve realized about tea this past year is that expensive does not mean rare or good , and rare does not mean expensive.  I’ve had the pleasure of tasting expensive tea and cheap tea. These unique stories of teas hide everywhere. I hope that people who love tea feel courageous enough to launch themselves and try everything, talk to everyone.  Look under every log, and see what you find! 

Social Media: Steepster

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TeaTiff Picks: NodFyr. Think Chai but with with a Nordic kick. If you are the type of person who thinks ketchup is spicy, you might find this to be a kick in the pants but others who like flavor with a nice kick will highly enjoy this blend.