Bubble-tea and iced-tea shops we checked, and how to cold-brew loose-leaf tea at home. For hot tea, tea rooms and loose-leaf shops, see the Boulder tea guide.
Boulder's boba is a student scene: on University Hill, Lollicup on 13th Street, Kung Fu Tea on Broadway and Ichigo Matcha on College Avenue sit about two blocks apart. Away from campus, Pony M Cake on Baseline Road makes milk teas on jasmine and Ceylon bases next to its mille crepe cakes, and Tea Mate pours Thai and red bean milk tea upstairs in a pho restaurant. Cafe Meets Boba on Arapahoe Avenue sells boba, matcha and espresso drinks from the same counter.
6 Boulder shops, checked as open on 2026-10-01. Listed in no particular order; this is not a ranking.
| Tea | Leaf per Water | Example Batch | Steep and Serve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green or white tea | 8.5–10.6 g per litre | 9 g leaf : 1 L cold water | Fridge 6–8 hours, strain, drink as is (Rishi) |
| Black tea or oolong | 8.5–10.6 g per litre | 9 g leaf : 1 L cold water | Fridge 8–10 hours, strain, drink as is (Rishi) |
| Taiwanese oolong, lighter batch | 7 g per litre | 7 g leaf : 1 L cold water | 2–3 hours at room temperature or overnight in the fridge (Eco-Cha) |
| Herbal blends and rooibos | 8.5–10.6 g per litre | 10 g : 1 L cold water | Fridge 10–12 hours for herbal (Rishi), at least 12 hours for rooibos (Rooibos.Africa) |
| Sencha, quick concentrate | 10 g per 210 ml | 10 g leaf : 210 ml chilled water | 15 minutes undisturbed, small glasses (Ippodo) |
| Where It Steeps | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator, 40 °F (4 °C) or colder | 6–12 hours by tea type | Green and white shortest, herbal and rooibos longest. The FDA puts a safe fridge at 40 °F or below. |
| Room temperature | 2–3 hours (Taiwanese oolong only) | Eco-Cha’s short counter steep; strain and refrigerate the tea once it is done. |
| Chilled water, quick | 15 minutes (sencha) | Ippodo’s method gives a small, concentrated cup rather than a pitcher. |
Sources: Rishi Tea & Botanicals, How to Make Iced Tea; Eco-Cha, How to Brew Oolong Tea; Ippodo Tea, Cold Brew Sencha; Rooibos.Africa, Brewing; FDA, Refrigerator Thermometers: Cold Facts about Food Safety.
Every tea type, with leaf weight and fridge time: Cold-Brew Tea Ratio Chart.
We checked 6 Boulder bubble-tea and iced-tea shops as open on 2026-10-01: Lollicup Boulder (University Hill), Kung Fu Tea (Boulder) (University Hill), Ichigo Matcha Boulder (University Hill), Cafe Meets Boba (East Boulder (Arapahoe Ave)), Tea Mate (Baseline Road (near 30th St)) and Pony M Cake & Boba Tea (Meadows (Baseline Rd at Foothills Pkwy)).
Ichigo Matcha Boulder, Pony M Cake & Boba Tea list brown sugar boba on their own menus or listings.
Kung Fu Tea (Boulder), Pony M Cake & Boba Tea make fruit teas, according to their menus or listings.
Use about 9 g of leaf per litre of cold water and steep it in the fridge: 6–8 hours for green or white tea, 8–10 hours for black or oolong, 10–12 hours for herbal blends (Rishi’s guidance). Strain, then keep it refrigerated at 40 °F or colder.