All the tea in Marin County

August 27, 2017 8:33 AM

Marin County tea guru David Lee Hoffman, subject of Les Blank's documentary All In This Tea still has literally tons of tea, puer (previously) and otherwise, in his tea cave, but also has long battled county government over building codes and his vision of sustainability (previously, including a link to a 2012 Vice article with more pictures of the Last Resort.)

This reminds me of another not-up-to-code Marin County enclave, Druid Heights, where spiritual guru Alan Watts (previously) and lesbian poet Elsa Gidlow lived. And indeed Alan Watts is mentioned in this article about preserving Hoffman's Last Resort Lagunitas as a visionary folk art site.

posted by larrybob (6 comments total)

The problem here is that too many people think that a reasonable annual fine/fee and warning sign for being out of compliance is not good enough, that it must be brought up to code or destroyed.
posted by Brian B. at 9:51 AM on August 27, 2017

I grow tired of folks who get down on creative living; especially those in high priced areas with considerable natural beauty, in a community like Marin County famed for its funk, hippie cachet, rock star hideaway, and above all money. I knew someone who lived down below in Bolinas and Stinson Beach, where the locals tear down the signs that tell you where it is. But, it sure is nice up there on Mt. Tamalpais and all. That tea cave sounds amazing. I bought some puer tea, a couple of years ago, searching for the best tea to gift a tea loving friend. He was Russian, and declared the stuff horrific, but his Taiwanese friend found it to be outstanding.
posted by Oyéah at 10:29 AM on August 27, 2017

This was the first article I ever read about Hoffman and his teas.
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 11:08 AM on August 27, 2017 [1 favorite]

that it must be brought up to code or destroyed.

Building codes aren't meant to be things that you can buy yourself out of.
posted by kenko at 1:28 PM on August 27, 2017 [6 favorites]

All in this Tea
posted by Ideefixe at 5:06 PM on August 27, 2017 [1 favorite]

Building codes aren't meant to be things that you can buy yourself out of.

Arguable. It ranks among the largest sources of official graft and bribery in America, including permits. So it won't be changing anytime soon, but I note that in many areas exceptions are made for agricultural, cultural, or other reasons.
posted by Brian B. at 6:12 PM on August 27, 2017