ITO EN: Cold brew tea demand at 'all-time high'
Green tea beverage company ITO EN is launching new ice-steeped cold brew RTD teas at Natural Products Expo West this week.
match LOVE Cold Brew is made with whole leaf green tea, finely ground matcha powder and chilled water, available in two organic varieties, Matcha + Green Tea (unsweetened & Non-GMO Project Verified) and Lemon Match + Green Tea.
TEAS' TEA Organic Cold Brew offers 'a more refined and smoother taste than conventionally brewed teas', available in Pure Green Tea (unsweetened and Non-GMO Project Verified) and Raspberry Black Tea.
Rona Tison, senior vp of ITO EN North America, said: “Consumer demand for cold brew beverages is at an all-time high, and we believe the launch of these products will help us establish a new segment in the RTD tea category.
“Given ITO EN’s expertise in Japanese cold brew methods called Mizudashi, we feel there’s an enormous opportunity for us to take the leadership role for this innovative set."
The new products will start shipping to retailers in May.
Teavana craft iced tea launches in the US with Anheuser-Busch and Starbucks
Starbucks and Anheuser-Busch started shipping their RTD premium Teavana Craft Iced Tea last month. The teas went into grocery and convenience retailers in New Hampshire, New York, Vermont and Missouri last month, with select flavors rolling out to Starbucks locations nationwide in the summer, and across stores nationally in 2018.
The iced teas are made with Teavana tea and botanicals, are 100 calories or less, and come in four flavors: pineapple berry blue herbal tea; peach green tea; passion tango herbal tea; and mango black tea.
“With the launch of these craft iced teas, Teavana will transform the $4bn RTD tea category and enter the high growth group of premium RTD tea,” said the brand.
The partnership combines Starbucks’ tea expertise and consumer engagement capabilities with Anheuser-Busch’s distribution muscle.
Teapigs: Tea with beetroot
Teapigs has launched a new range of feel-good teas ‘packed full of benefits with no compromise on our usual full on flavor’.
The detox tea, clean n green, combines green tea, lemongrass, ginger, coconut and dandelion leaves that are ‘packed full of antioxidants’.
The energy tea, called up-beet, contains a blend of hibiscus, ginger, green tea and beetroot. Meanwhile, snooze contains a ‘soothing mix’ of chamomile, apple and lavender.
Thai Carrot Kombucha and cold brew tea
Pure Steeps has launched a new line of culinary-inspired flavors for its Wonder Drink Kombucha brand at Natural Products Expo West in the US this week.
The flavors, Honey Lavender, Strawberry Basil and Thai Carrot ‘maintain the functional benefits of tea and natural acids in kombucha with added probiotics that support digestive health’.
Wonder Drink Kombucha’s new products, retailing at $3.49 for 14oz bottles and $1.99 for 8.4oz cans, will be available in late spring 2017.
Meanwhile, Pure Steeps’ Secret Squirrel brand is also launching new cold brew teas in the spring: Rwanda Black, Sencha Green and Mint Green.
Premium leaf tea for Bangladesh
Tetley ACI Bangladesh has launched Indian tea brand, Tata Tea Premium Leaf, in Bangladesh.
Tata Tea Premium offers a ‘perfect blend of ‘Boro Dana’ (big granules) for aroma and ‘Choto Dana’ (small granules) for strength’ – resulting in the perfect cup of tea, said the company.
The tea is available in packs of 400gm, 200gm, 100gm, 50gm, 25gm & 10gm.
Nestea’s revamp
Nestlé has reformulated and rebranded its Nestea range in the US, launching a fruit-flavored product line and a Nestea real-brewed line for the ‘true tea experience’.
The fruit-flavored tea line, which comes in three varieties (lemon, peach and raspberry), is free from high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, flavors or GMO ingredients, and is sweetened with sugar and stevia extract.
The brewed teas are made with up to five ingredients (water, sugar, tea, rooibos, citric acid), with tea sourced from Nilgiri in India. The varieties are unsweetened black tea, slightly sweet black tea, slightly sweet black tea and rooibos, and slightly sweet organic green tea.
The launch of the premium product lines is part of the first major overhaul of the brand’s visual identify in a number of years, helping Nestea position itself in a ‘rapidly expanding’ RTD tea market.
Tejava unsweetened black tea
Crystal Geyser Water Company is re-launching its Tejava tea in 100% BPA-free, PET plastic recyclable bottles: single-serve versions for consumers on-the-go.
“With this more portable, convenient option, Tejava can go everywhere our customers go—in the car, at school, sporting events or concerts,” said Judy Yee, executive vp of marketing & innovation. “The new plastic bottles are also perfect for places that don't allow glass bottles, such as pools and beaches."
Tejava is made from handpicked tea leaves from the island of Java in Indonesia. The Tejava in PET bottles is brewed using the same small batch method as the Tejava in glass containers.
Tejava in PET plastic bottles are available in Northern California Costco locations, online at Amazon, and in cold boxes in grocery stores throughout the region. Tejava will also continue to be sold in the traditional 12-ounce and 1-Liter glass containers.
Cosy Tea
Cosy Organic Matcha has been added to the Cosy Tea range in the UK. It is a finely ground powder of specially grown and processed green tea and 100% organic.
The beverage is prepared by whisking half a teaspoon of Matcha with a little hot water, then topping with freshly steamed milk.
“Cosy Organic Matcha is as versatile as it is delicious and makes a great addition to juices, smoothies and frappés as well as being served more traditionally as a tea, latte or a shot,” said the brand.
Matcha is caffeinated, but contains l-theanine that the brand promotes as ‘keeping you calmly alert for a sustained period’.
Cosy Organic Matcha is available in cases of 12, 100g packs. Each pack contains approximately 40 servings and is approved by the Fairtrade Foundation and The Vegan Society.
Black Forest Green Tea
Black Forest Green Tea has been launched in South Africa, available from Pick ‘n Pay, Checkers, Spar, Clicks and Cash ‘n Carry nationwide at around R26.95 for 10 teabags.
The tea is recommended to be made with cooler water (80°c) and teabags can be used twice.
New loose-leaf collection from Argo Tea
Argo Tea has released a new Wellness Collection in the US, covering five premium loose-leaf teas. The teas are detox (green tea, herbs and spices); empower (hibiscus flowers, apple and elderberries); energized (assam black tea, cocoa and cinnamon); relax (rooibos, chamomile blossoms and orange petals); and renew (fruits, herbs and aloe vera).
“We created this new collection to support wellness of body and mind,” said Kari Ginal, Vice President of Marketing, Argo Tea.
The Wellness Collection is available online and in Argo Tea cafés. The retail price for a loose-leaf bottle is $15.95, ranging in net weight based on each blend.
Pure Leaf adds mint and pomegranate flavors
The Pepsi Lipton Tea Partnership has added two flavors to its Pure Leaf RTD iced teas: mint and pomegranate.
The drinks are leaf brewed, sweetened with sugar, and sold in 18.5 oz bottles with a suggested retail price of $1.40. The new flavors are available nationwide in the US.