In case you were worried that craft beer, craft cocktails, pour-over coffee, and kombucha had already cornered the niche-beverage market, never fear: Craft iced tea is here. And it may be coming to a grocery or convenience store near you, courtesy of Starbucks.
If you live in New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, or Missouri (who knew the heartland had a secret tea-drinking state?), your local retailer may now be stocking premium bottles of Teavana Craft Iced Tea. According to the Starbucks website, the teas offer "vibrant flavors...that are free from artificial flavors" — and at 100 calories or less, they promise "just the right amount of sweetness."
Starbucks started shipping the teas out this morning, in partnership with Anheuser-Busch. The coffee company is lending its tea expertise, while bottling and distribution is managed by the St. Louis (oh, it all makes sense now) beer-brewing company.
The four teas run the gamut of flavors and caffeination levels: You've got your black (mango black, that is — with "hints of lime"), your green (peach, with some mint tossed in), and a couple of herbals whose flavors include rooibos, hibiscus, apple, pineapple, blueberry, and Thai lemongrass. After their mini-rollout today, the teas will start appearing at Starbucks locations this summer, and the company plans on world domination — I mean, widespread availability — by 2018.
Whether or not you're ready to jump onto the craft iced tea bandwagon, one thing's for certain: These look a hell of a lot tastier than charcoal water.
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