KANSAS CITY — Tea makers are tapping into trends with new brewed beverage innovation.
Unilever is opting for the organic trend in its new Lipton offering. New Lipton organic black tea is made with U.S.D.A.-certified organic and Rainforest Alliance certified black tea leaves picked from the Kenyan Highlands.
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| George Hamilton, tea director at Unilever |
“We’re thrilled to bring an organic option to the market at an affordable price,” said George Hamilton, tea director at Unilever. “We are also hugely proud of the blend that will deliver a naturally smooth taste that’s rich and delicious.”
Southern Breeze Sweet Tea is embracing the cold brew craze with the launch of its new zero-calorie cold brew sweet teas. Made with tea leaves in a pre-sweetened single-serve bag, the teas may be prepared by steeping the tea bag in cold water for five minutes then pouring over ice. Varieties include original, half and half, peach and raspberry.
“Our goal with Southern Breeze Cold Brew was to develop a product that would deliver authentic sweet tea quickly and conveniently,” said Tina Niszczak, brand manager for Southern Breeze Sweet Tea. “Our cold brew teas eliminate the need to boil and brew up a pot of tea at home, add sweetener and then wait for it to cool. In one step, you have zero calorie, great-tasting sweet tea any time you want.”
Argo Tea is capitalizing on the trends of traceability, single-origin offerings and premium positioning with its new line of ready-to-drink cold brew single estate bottled teas. The super-premium teas are U.S.D.A.-certified organic, Non-GMO Project verified, gluten-free, vegan and kosher and are sweetened with a hint of fair-trade cane sugar. First Flush Darjeeling is organic and Biodynamic Darjeeling black tea made from the Ambootia Tea Garden in India, First Flush Gyokuro is organic Gyokuro green tea from the Yamaguchi Tea Estate in Japan and Armenian Mint is organic peppermint tea harvested from central Europe and the Mediterranean Basin.
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| Arsen Avakian, founder and c.e.o. of Argo Tea |
“We’re passionate about creating new ways for people to experience tea,” said Arsen Avakian, founder and chief executive officer of Argo Tea. “With our new cold brew teas, we are bringing consumers unprecedented access to super premium teas from around the world. We are uniquely positioned to do this because of our long-term relationships with growers, giving us access to one-of-a-kind micro lots and ensuring the highest quality teas with low microbial levels.”
