June is National Iced Tea Month. To make sure you’re drinking the best iced tea you possibly can next month, get your hands on the iced teas that took home top honors at this year’s Global Tea
Championship in Mentebello, California. After dividing entrants into three categories (Ready to Drink, Food Service, and Instant) and subcategories (straight, sweetened or flavored black, white, oolong, etc.), the competition awarded 4 gold medals, 12 silver medals, and 15 bronze medals to the best of the bunch.
Each iced tea was evaluated on a 100-point system by three judges: Scott Svihula of coffee/tea company Hula Consulting, Royce Van Twest of Qtrade Teas & Herbs, and John Culliott of sustainable tea company Walters Bay. To receive a top score of 96-100, an iced tea must meet the following criteria: “Unique tea, difficult to replicate, exceptional vintage.”
Here are the Gold Medalists for your sipping pleasure:
Tejava—The Unsweetened Tea
Category: Ready to Drink
Tejava’s motto is Tea + Nothing = Tejava. The company says, “We believe in letting the tea speak for itself so we don’t hide its flavor behind sugar, additives or added ingredients.” It’s simply made with handpicked tea leaves from the Island of Java in Indonesia. Tejava uses only leaves picked from the top of the tea plant between the months of May and October, limiting itself to only the best that camellia sinensis has to offer. Tejava is Non-GMO Project verified and Rainforest Alliance Certified. You can scoop up your own bottle of Tejava any of these locations.
Lotus Blossom White Tea with Organic Coconut Water #2300 from Templar Food Products
Category: Ready to Drink
Templar Food Products creates custom private label iced teas for its clients. The developers brought home the gold for its white tea flavored with lotus blossom and coconut water. Click here to request a sample.
Karkade Hibiscus Tea
Category: Ready to Drink
Karkade Tea is made from hibiscus plants that are picked in Egypt and then brewed in Texas. CEO Ahmed Mahmoud says, “Since the days of the pharaohs, families in Egypt have enjoyed tea made from hibiscus flowers. It was the same for our family.” When the Mahmoud family moved to the United States, they continued to drink iced hibiscus tea, and then decided to share it with the rest of the country under the Karkade Tea label. Order online here.
Red Berry Iced Tea from Mighty Leaf Tea
Category: Food Service (Commercial Fresh Brewed)
This variety from Mighty Leaf was honored in the Commercial Fresh Brewed category, defined as ” dry tea in either open brew fraction packs or filter packs to be brewed on commercial iced tea equipment and sold in cases to foodservice customers.” Mighty Leaf teas use the whole tea plant leaf. Says the company, “Our whole leaf teas showcase larger, bolder leaves – never broken, torn or crushed. We love whole leaf tea because these teas provide a complex, nuanced taste that you just don’t get from leaves that have been crushed or broken. Only whole leaves deliver the full flavor and aroma essential for the ultimate multi-sensory tea experience.” Look for this gold medalist variety on restaurant menus.
And here are the Silver and Bronze Medalists:
Silver Medalists:
- Templar Food Products, Peach Zen Matcha Green Tea #2117 – RTD
- Templar Food Products, Ginger Starkrimson Pear Oolong Tea #2300 – RTD
- New Age Beverages Corp., Marley Mellow Mood, Peach Raspberry Black Tea – RTD
- Argo Tea, Carolina Honey – RTD
- Farmer Brothers, Farmer Brothers Black Sweetened Tea – Liquid Concentrate
- Teavana, Teavana Ready-to-Drink Passion Tango Craft Iced Tea – RTD
- Argo Tea, Hibiscus – BIB
- China Mist Tea Company, Hibiscus Raspberry Frenzy Herbal Iced Tea – Commercial Fresh Brewed
- Royal Cup Coffee & Tea, Green Mint Iced Tea – Commercial Fresh Brewed
- China Mist Tea Company, Orange Blossom Ginger Iced White Tea – Commercial Fresh Brewed
- S & D Coffee and Tea, Premium Blend – Commercial Fresh Brewed
- TeaSource, Minnestoa N’ice Tea – Commercial Fresh Brewed
Bronze Medalists:
- ITO EN, Ocha Kyoto Uji Matcha – RTD
- Try My T, Try M Tea – RTD
- Templar Food Products, Pineapple Mango African Mountain Tea #1410 – RTD
- S & D Coffee & Tea, Mangrove Bay Green – Commercial Fresh Brewed
- Teakina, Teakina Traditional Black Tea – RTD
- Farmer Brothers, Black Unsweetened Tea – Liquid Concentrate
- SAHPAT Teas, Ginger+Turmeric+Hibiscus Herbal Tea – RTD
- New Age Beverages Corp., Xing Blueberry Green Tea – RTD
- Milo’s Tea Company, Milo’s Famous Sweet Tea – RTD
- Wnutritional, Luminus Tea Hibiscus – RTD
- Rooibee Red Tea, Rooibee Red Tea Summer Peach – RTD
- Shangri La Tea Company, Raspberry Cooler – Commercial Fresh Brewed
- Mighty Leaf Tea, Caribbean Isle Green Iced Tea – Commercial Fresh Brewed
- Farmer Brothers, Classic Black Tea – Commercial Fresh Brewed
- Shangri La Tea Company, Tropical Passion – Commercial Fresh Brewed
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