I'm an equal opportunity tea sipper, once drinking thick, black English tea to such an extreme a doctor pal had to pull out his stethoscope to make sure I had a caffeine buzz, not an arrhythmia. So it's with some measure of experience, and an open mind, that I crack a couple of chilled bottles and sample the new Iyemon Cha -- a Japanese green tea which made its U.S. debut in San Francisco this past summer at the de Young museum.

To be fair, my personal taste test isn't blind, there is no protocol, I don't pair anything or grind my own matcha in an attempt at authenticity. I am mindful of Iyemon Cha's tradition and lineage -- made at the 200-year-old Fukujuen tea house in Kyoto, with organic tea leaves selected by master green tea blender Ryozo Taniguchi. But the truth is, I'm on deadline. And my deliberate, slow sampling of those two bottles of tea seems like the perfect antidote to procrastination blues.

There are two bottled varieties you'll find around San Francisco, my personal best of the two being the Roasted Hojicha, with the toasted taste and aroma of my favorite steeped genmaicha (green tea with toasted rice). The other variety, original Green Sencha, is an early-harvest tea with a crisp, clean flavor -- sencha being among the most popular green teas, known for its sweet/astringent qualities and balance. For green-tea neophytes, the astringent aspect can be an acquired taste, in which case I'd recommend starting with the Hojicha and working your palate toward the Sencha.

With a number of excellent tea rooms and vendors in San Francisco, getting a more esoteric variety of tea, like a sun-shielded gyokuro, isn't a huge challenge. What has been a task for me is finding a similarly high-quality tea already brewed and bottled, ready for the sipping, for those lazy or busy days when self-reliance isn't an option.

What distinguishes a bottled tea like Iyemon Cha from your convenience-store blend is the quality of the ingredients and the traditional making process. This tea is the only bottled green tea from Fukujuen, now available in the States. What that means in practical terms, is that all of the tea leaves are certified organic (USDA). Each bottle has a touch of matcha -- a fine, stone-ground tea and the central ingredient of Japanese tea ceremonies. (The Asian Art Museum periodically features tea ceremonies on its calendar, if you're interested in learning about the process.)

The teas are unsweetened and bottled in glass -- no plastic waste or plastic taste. And real tea is, of course, loaded with catechin compounds (antioxidants) which may be beneficial in reducing heart disease and certain types of cancer.

If you're trying to sway your kids toward more healthful options like tea, the holiday season in San Francisco is actually a great time to associate tea drinking with some fun and gifts. A number of San Francisco venues have Holiday Teas that focus on festive ceremonies for families and kids -- including Teddy Bear Teas and Magical Teas (with performing magician). It may be but a short leap from a teddy bear to a lifelong appreciation of roasted tea leaves.

I asked and received -- isn't it great how that works? -- this list of places selling Iyemon Cha around San Francisco, for anyone who may want to give it a try. If you want to be sure, ring ahead to see if the shop carries it.

Related Articles:

• San Francisco Tea Rooms
• December Holiday & Children's Tea in San Francisco
• How to Brew & Drink Green Tea (About.com: Japanese Cooking)

Image Courtesy of Suntory/Iyemon Cha