SANTA FE SPRINGS, Calif., Aug. 31 /PRNewswire/ — World Tea Media has awarded QTrade Teas & Herbs five first place awards from over 200 submissions at the North America Tea Championship –  Hot Tea Class. An independent, expert panel of seasoned tea professionals granted top honors to QTrade across a wide range of tea categories and origins.

“We’re quite pleased the panel selected not only five exceptional teas from QTrade, but that two of the entries originated from Certified Organic and Fair Trade tea gardens,” explains Manik Jayakumar, President, QTrade. He adds, “QTrade continues to work at the forefront of socially responsible, sustainable agricultural methods. Organic Silver Serenity and Organic Silver Needle Supreme finished top in their class, signifying how organic methods can often lead to superior tasting teas.”

“We wish to commend QTrade on their continued participation and success in these tasting competitions,” exclaims Ronald Eng, President, Kopius Teas. “If you look at the thirteen first place awards and the twenty-eight total awards from the past three years, it’s clear that QTrade not only has the global network to acquire some of the world’s finest teas, but that they also have the expertise to consistently identify best-in-class entrants.”

About QTrade Teas

QTrade Teas & Herbs (www.qtradeteas.com) is a direct from source importer of quality ingredients serving the middle to upper tier food and beverage industries for over fifteen years. QTrade is the largest importer of organic teas in the United States, and also offers a growing selection of organic herbs, spices, fruits and flowers. Augmenting the products is a complementary set of custom formulation, blending, and private label services.

About Kopius Teas

Kopius Teas (www.kopiusteas.com) specializes in providing premium teas, herbs, and accessories for the startup to middle tier wholesale markets. The website features a broad selection of over 400 teas and blending ingredients from QTrade Teas & Herbs and is designed for tea merchants, coffee roasters, cafes, and specialty retailers.

ATLANTA, Sept. 1 /PRNewswire/ — Calorie counters have likely noticed the growing number of food and beverage products containing stevia sweeteners now showing up on U.S. supermarket shelves. Touted for their ability to provide natural, no-calorie sources of sweetness, stevia sweeteners have quickly gained popularity among consumers trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

But what exactly is stevia and what benefits does it provide to consumers? Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) is a South American plant traditionally used to sweeten beverages and make tea. The word “stevia” might refer to the entire plant or to a crude preparation (liquid or powder) of dried stevia leaves. The sweet-tasting components of the plant – called steviol glycosides – can be isolated and purified from the leaves and are now added to foods, beverages and tabletop sweeteners in the U.S. and elsewhere. The process of isolating the steviol glycosides has been compared to “steeping” tea leaves.

Several steviol glycosides are recognized as safe as general purpose sweeteners by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. As a sugar substitute with zero calories, stevia sweeteners can help reduce or replace calories in foods and beverages and offer low and no-calorie alternatives for people looking to lose and control weight. They are also a suitable option for people with diabetes, since studies show that consumption does not increase blood glucose levels.

Here are more facts about stevia sweeteners:

What is the difference between stevia, rebaudioside A and steviol glycosides?

The term stevia typically refers to a crude preparation (powder or liquid) of dried stevia leaves. It may contain a mixture of many substances, only some of which are sweet. Steviol glycosides can be isolated and purified from the leaves of the stevia plant and can be used as sugar substitutes to sweeten foods and beverages and used as tabletop sweeteners. Rebaudioside A is one of the steviol glycosides purified from the leaf of the stevia plant. Other steviol glycosides include stevioside, rebaudiosides B, C, D, F, steviolbioside, rubusoside, and dulcoside A.

In what types of foods are stevia sweeteners used?

Stevia sweeteners can be used as sugar substitutes in foods such as beverages, desserts, sauces, yogurt, pickled foods, breads and confections.

What are some common and trade names for stevia sweeteners?

Enliten®, PureVia™, Reb A, Rebaudioside A, Rebiana, Stevia, Stevioside, Stevia Extract In The Raw™, Sun Crystals®, Truvia™, Sweetleaf®

How many calories do stevia sweeteners contain?

Steviol glycosides have zero calories. Stevia-based tabletop sweeteners can have zero or minimal calories per serving, depending upon the other food ingredients with which they are combined. For example, some stevia sweeteners may be mixed with sugar as a bulking agent and these stevia sweeteners will contain some calories.

For more information or for recipes containing stevia, visit www.steviabenefits.org.

Your Ultimate Tea Resource

OJAI, Calif., Aug. 31 /PRNewswire/ — Zhena’s Gypsy Tea, known for its dedication to sustainability and innovative tea offerings, and Tully’s Coffee, a leading specialty coffee retailer, have announced an unprecedented contest to engage and show appreciation for their vastly expanding tea customers at Tully’s throughout the Western United States.

“This contest will give customers a chance to win a tea trek to the fair trade gardens in Sri Lanka, where I will guide them through the fields where we source a large variety of our Biodynamic(R) teas,” says Zhena Muzyka, Founder and Master Blender of Zhena’s. “Tully’s customers have really responded to the new hot tea offerings since we began working together, and we wanted to show their customers how much we appreciate their support by taking this opportunity to take them to the source of their enjoyment.”

Each Tully’s Coffee will have displays where customers can sign up to win the free trip to Sri Lanka. Tully’s will also feature a new Pumpkin Spice Tea Latte promotional drink, formulated especially for the Fall contest. Winners will be announced one month after the last entry is in. Contest runs from September 8th- 30th.

“We are thrilled to partner with Zhena’s Gypsy Tea for this innovative idea to show our customers how much we care,” said Scott Earle, Tully’s Coffee Vice President of Marketing. “Our customers love our new tea offerings, and we want to push the envelope even further by engaging customers in a new and exciting way, with this being one of the biggest prizes we have ever offered at Tully’s.”

The winners of the tea expedition to Sri Lanka will be heading to Sri Lanka with Zhena, where she will take the winners to several organic tea gardens, beautiful Sri Lankan beaches and even an elephant orphanage in January 2011.

About Zhena’s Gypsy Tea

Headquartered in Ojai, California, Zhena’s Gypsy Tea is a pro-active purpose based brand, whose goal it is to make a difference in people’s lives by offering only premium teas that benefit customers’ health and the health of the planet. A socially responsible business with a commitment to improve the social and environmental well-being of the world, through its unique offerings of prized and exquisite Fair Trade(TM), organic and Biodynamic (R) teas and herbs, the company works toward social justice, humanitarian causes and earth-friendly, sustainable, ethical business that create opportunities to alleviate poverty. To learn more visit www.gypsytea.com.

ABOUT TC GLOBAL, INC.:

TC Global, Inc., dba Tully’s Coffee, is a leading specialty coffee retailer and wholesaler. Through company owned, licensed and franchised specialty retail stores in Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, Wyoming and Utah, throughout Asia with Tully’s Coffee International, and with its global alliance partner Tully’s Coffee Japan, Tully’s premium coffees are available at nearly 600 branded retail locations globally, including more than 200 in the United States. TC Global also has the rights to distribute Tully’s coffee through all wholesale channels internationally, outside of North America, the Caribbean and Japan. TC Global’s corporate headquarters is located at 3100 Airport Way S, in Seattle, WA. For more information: (800) MY-TULLY or TullysCoffeeShops.com.

Fresh Brewed PG tips Tea Offers a Healthy Dose of Antioxidants and Daily Vigor

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Aug. 26 /PRNewswire/ — Just as the summer wanes and first signs of fall appear with kids heading back to school, September’s International Self-Improvement Month arrives. Self-Improvement Month is a great opportunity to catch a breath and start healthy habits for improved wellness and spirit to last the entire year. PG tips black and green teas provide a myriad of health benefits that are sure to be an improvement.

As timeless and dependable as the first day of school, PG tips black and green teas are the educated beverage of choice for wellness focused individuals who seek to get as much goodness out of their tea as possible. A recent study presented by WellGen, Inc. suggests, if you’re looking for high doses of healthful antioxidants, then fresh brewed tea (either hot or poured over iced) may be a healthier choice than bottled tea beverages. “There is a huge gap between perception that tea consumption is healthy and the actual amount of the healthful nutrients – polyphenols – found in bottled tea beverages. Our analysis of tea beverages found that the polypehenol content is extremely low,” said study researcher Shiming Li.

Antioxidants, polyphenols, protect cells against damage from unstable free radical molecules. It is thought that antioxidants may play a role in preventing various diseases, including certain types of cancer, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s, while supporting a strong healthy immune system.

Naturally pure and packed with fresh, crisp flavor, PG tips black and green teas are virtually fat-free and calorie-free, with half the caffeine of a typical cup of freshly brewed coffee and enjoying a cup of PG tips black tea is as easy as A-B-C. Simply pour hot water over the PG tips pyramid teabag and let set for only one minute. The flavors and the water will infuse instantly. The unique design of the PG tips teabag allows maximum water flow to infuse the tea. For a hint of sweet, add milk, honey, or lemon to taste. Now that’s an Improvement!

For more information about PG tips please visit www.pgtipsusa.com. For media inquiries, please contact Lori Tullberg at 805-969-3744, www.christiecomm.com, or ltullberg@christiecomm.com.

DALLAS, Sept. 21 /PRNewswire/ — Red Mango, the fastest-growing retailer of all-natural nonfat frozen yogurt and fresh fruit smoothies, is welcoming the fall season with its signature fall flavor: Pumpkin Spice.

For a limited time, now through the end of the year, Red Mango will offer Pumpkin Spice at participating stores nationwide along with its graham cracker crumb topping.  And with crowds of loyal customers who came to love the flavor last year, it will be a bountiful harvest.

“Pumpkin Spice is the flavor everyone loves, and is back by popular demand,” says Dan Kim, founder and chief concept officer of Red Mango, who developed the proprietary recipe. “We captured the essence of autumn in a cup, and the response was overwhelming.  Pumpkin Spice achieves that perfect blend of pumpkin and cinnamon with the taste and aroma that signifies this time of year and welcomes the holiday season.”

As the first-ever seasonal flavor to roll out nationwide at Red Mango, Pumpkin Spice also welcomed a record number of customers to stores.  The sensation made way for a new objective at Red Mango to capture the taste of each season in a signature way the company could own.

Pumpkin Spice, like all of Red Mango’s frozen yogurt flavors, is 100% all-natural, gluten-free, and nonfat, and contains no preservatives, artificial colors or artificial flavors.

About Red Mango:

Red Mango, the fastest growing retailer of all-natural nonfat frozen yogurt and fresh fruit smoothies, opened its first U.S. store in July 2007 in Los Angeles, and has since celebrated 80 store openings in 25 states. Red Mango received the prestigious Nation’s Restaurant News’ 2009 “Hot Concepts!” award and the industry-recognized SupplySide’s 2010 “Scientific Excellence Award”, and has been named the best frozen yogurt in Los Angeles, Seattle, Las Vegas, Chicago, Utah and New York by highly-regarded independent publications. Headquartered in Dallas, Red Mango serves uniquely delicious frozen yogurt that is all-natural, nonfat, gluten-free and packed with beneficial live and active probiotic cultures like Ganeden BC30™ (Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086), which help support a healthy immune and digestive system when consumed as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. Red Mango’s frozen yogurt was the first frozen yogurt retailer to become certified by the National Yogurt Association’s Live and Active Culture Seal for meeting the required criteria for healthy frozen yogurt. Red Mango also introduced the world’s first all-natural probiotic iced teas that are made with whole tea leaves and hand-shaken to order, and recently expanded its menu to include satisfying lunchtime meal options like our all-natural made-to-order fruit parfaits and fresh fruit smoothies.

Carol Stream, IL (Vocus) August 18, 2010

Online tea shop ESP Emporium, purveyors of fine loose leaf tea, has announced the arrival of their “Brew Stop” Iced Tea maker – a revolutionary invention that offers complete control over the brewing process and the taste of iced tea.

“Our iced tea maker makes it very easy to make the perfect brew of iced tea” said Elena Popec, co-founder of ESP Emporium. “A simple turn of the lid interrupts the brewing process without compromising the taste, allowing you to stop the brewing process at any desired point and control the strength of the brew”.

“This iced tea maker puts a twist on the specialty teas we offer” said Popec. “Tasting our tea served cold is a pleasantly unique way to experience flavors that our customers already love, especially so since the strength of the brew can so easily be adjusted”.

The new (61 fl. Oz) iced tea maker is comprised of high-quality PC (Polycarbonate) BPA-free material, and is ideal for making up to 7 cups per brew. The stylishly-designed pot is constructed in such a manner as to allow for monitoring of the expansion of the tea leaves during the brewing process, which can be stopped at any desired point.

The iced tea maker is extremely simple to use, with the following general instructions:

1)    Fill the pitcher just below the filter system with ice cubes
2)    Insert the filter and add 3-5 teaspoons of loose tea
3)    Pour in enough hot water to fill the entire pitcher
4)    Place the lid into the filter and let the tea brew
5)    Turn the lid clockwise to stop the brewing process, and enjoy!

ESP Emporium’s new Ice Tea Maker (SRP $38.95) is available immediately from ESP Emporium, and qualifies for free shipping.

About ESP Emporium: The ESP Tea Emporium is an American-based, online tea shop located in the Midwestern US, which specializes in premium loose teas and tea-related accessories.

For more information about this announcement please visit ESP Emporium online (http://www.espemporium.com), or contact Steve Popec at 1-866-810-1818.

Now, consumers in the USA can easily get IRN-BRU. Authentic IRN-BRU, in regular and diet, is now available at teadog.com, an Internet retailer. Get made in Scotland IRN-BRU in single bottles, 6-packs or cases.

(PRWEB) June 18, 2010 — IRN-BRU drinkers used to go to extreme lengths for their favorite beverage. Now, consumers in the USA can easily get authentic IRN-BRU, in regular and diet, at teadog.com, an Internet retailer. Get made in Scotland IRN-BRU in single bottles, 6-packs or cases at teadog.com.

Scotland’s other national drink, IRN-BRU is a carbonated beverage that comes in a unique, bright-orange color. IRN-BRU drinkers should make sure they get the real thing. The product is spelled with all capitals, is hyphenated and only made in Scotland by AG Barr.

With a fruity and vanilla taste, the product still has real sugar is made with over 32 flavors. IRN-BRU has a long and unique history. It was created in Glasgow, Scotland. In the beginning, many mixed fruit drinks were called Iron Brew and each producer made a different variety.

Other than a brief period during World War II when it was unavailable, IRN-BRU has been around since it was created in 1901. After World War II, government regulations forced food producers to change product labels. All food names would have to be factually correct. The name Iron Brew could not be used since it was not made with Iron and not brewed. So, in 1946, the product name was changed to the phonetic pronunciation of Iron Brew, which became IRN-BRU.

IRN-BRU’s extensive popularity is a result of memorable advertising. From the 1930s to the 1970s, “Ba-Bru and Sandy” appeared in Scotland’s newspapers. Slogans such as “Made in Scotland from Girders” and “Your Other National Drink” have been used. Even to this day, the recipe is a secret. Only 2 people know its ingredients.

Even though IRN-BRU is not as familar as Scottish Tea or Scotch Whisky, it is growning in popularity. The availability of IRN-BRU in the USA mark its growing popularity across the globe.

About teadog.com
An e-commerce company, teadog.com offers IRN-BRU and brands of tea from around the world. teadog.com offers authentic IRN-BRU, which is made in Scotland.

Entering One of the Fastest Growing Natural Beverage Categories, Búcha™ Live Kombucha Offers Health-Conscious Drinkers a Unique Attribute in This Market: Extraordinary Flavor

Rolling Hills Estates, Calif. (PRWEB) June 17, 2010 — B&R Liquid Adventure, LLC, a well-funded California startup focused on delivering quality kombucha with unprecedented taste, today shipped its first three Búcha Live Kombucha flavors – Verbena Rose, Kiwi Passion, and Masala Chai.

Finally, A Good-Tasting Kombucha that is Also Good for You
Búcha Live Kombucha is a refreshing, low calorie, non-alcoholic beverage made from a base of the highest quality organic teas and a living culture of beneficial yeast and bacteria. It is carefully fermented and combined with today’s highest quality ingredients to develop a breakthrough in this market – exceptional flavors. It continues the 2,000 year tradition, which started in China, of people drinking kombucha to enhance their health.

Frank Commanday, Búcha’s food scientist, led a research effort that developed kombucha brewing techniques that eliminate the vinegar taste so common for kombucha beverages. Repeated private taste tests have uniformly shown that Búcha Live Kombucha is the best-tasting kombucha made today. At only 35 calories per 8 oz serving, all Búcha flavors are made with natural and organic ingredients.

The Kombucha Market
“This is a great time to enter the kombucha market, and we’re proud to be the first to deliver a product that doesn’t sacrifice taste for goodness,” said Dennis McLaughlin, Chief Marketing Officer, B&R Liquid Adventure. “Forbes and The New York Times have reported that kombucha sales have been doubling every year as more and more people are switching to this refreshing and healthy option versus settling for sugary, highly caffeinated soft drinks and water beverages.”

In addition to delivering unsurpassed taste, company executives considered the favorable economic conditions within the market segment when deciding to launch the organization and product line. “This market segment, even though it is small and undeveloped compared to the larger beverage market, has already seen favorable merger and acquisition activity,” said Bern Galvin, CEO, B&R Liquid Adventure. “Just last year, the Hain Celestial Group purchased Infinitea, and Coca-Cola took a stake in Honest Tea, two companies that are already helping pave the way in this emerging kombucha category.”

B&R plans to continue sampling all Búcha flavors both in stores and at community events, introducing experienced kombucha drinkers and newcomers to the industry’s first great tasting product. The brand will also be promoted through social media efforts, including a Facebook and Twitter presence.

Product Price and Availability
Today’s three flavors are offered in 16 ounce glass bottles with tamper-evident caps. The suggested manufacturer’s retail price is $3.69 per bottle. Three additional flavors – Grapefruit Sage, Guava Mango and Blood Orange – will ship later this summer. Since Búcha products contain live cultures, they must be refrigerated.

B&R Liquid Adventure is currently setting up a distribution channel that will take product into health and natural foods stores around the country. Initial shipments will be to select stores in the west and southwest, starting in California.

For more information about the full line of Búcha Live Kombucha products, please visit: http://mybucha.com.

About B&R Liquid Adventure
B&R Liquid Adventure, LLC was formed by two successful business people – Bern Galvin and Ross Smith – who are also health-conscious, competitive athletes. They started the company in early 2009 after friends urged them to build a company to produce the delicious home-brewed kombucha they were making for friends and family. Bern and Ross brought in three other partners, each of whom had extensive experience in different phases of product creation, introduction, and marketing. The company was funded by an investment syndicate in 2010. B&R Liquid Adventure maintains a presence in Northern and Southern California. Production and bottling is done in Northern California. The company’s goal is to become a leading provider of healthy non-alcoholic beverages, starting with kombucha. A portion of profits will be donated to charity.

Búcha, búcha, and “Taste the Culture of Life” are trademarks of B&R Liquid Adventure, LLC.

Follow-up mid-summer launch features fashionable/functional eco-friendly ‘real’ glass water bottles that eliminate poor taste and reduce landfill waste

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., June 17 /PRNewswire/ — Takeya USA, a subsidiary of Takeya Japan, is bringing 50 years of Japanese-inspired design innovation to Southern California. Based in Huntington Beach, Takeya launched its innovative AcraGlass™ food and beverage collection into the U.S. marketplace earlier this year. Detailed company and product information is available at www.takeyausa.com.

Takeya’s “debut” AcraGlass line features brilliant glass-like clarity that doesn’t stain or hold odors like typical plastics. A durable and high temperature acrylic, it is BPA-free, dishwasher safe, handles hot and cold temperatures and is FDA approved. Takeya is the only company in the world currently offering AcraGlass products.

Takeya USA was founded by CEO and President, John Lown, who brings more than two decades of innovation and design experience to the company. Prior to joining Takeya, John created FloTool, an automotive products brand, and then founded the internationally recognized Snapware Corporation in 1994.

Lown has brought a passion for designing and marketing everyday home products, and is the driving force behind Takeya’s U.S. push. “American consumers have come to know and appreciate Japanese design for its simple beauty, practical functionality and the healthy benefits,” said Lown. “Takeya is committed to enriching people’s lives by bringing this fresh, new look to everyday beverage container solutions.”

Takeya achieves this by using a rich palette of colors, clean elegant lines, space-saving design, food-safe materials and high quality, leak-proof craftsmanship. Products already in the U.S. marketplace include Tea makers, Flash Chill Iced Tea makers, Fruit Infusion, Swirl cups and Airtight Jugs.

Later this summer, Takeya will introduce two revolutionary Glass Water Bottle collections: Classic and Modern.  Made from pure glass and designed to keep drinking water pure and fresh, an added benefit is to help Mother Nature by reducing the accumulation of millions of plastic bottles in landfills across the U.S.

Takeya’s reusable Glass Water Bottles will be available in several sizes with colorful silicone jackets that feature see-through windows for checking fluid levels. The patented jackets also provide a soft, non-slip grip and protection from accidental breakage. Both the silicone jackets and water bottles are dishwasher safe.

Takeya products are available at specialty retailers and online. Suggested retail prices vary from $3.99 for a two-pack of SWIRL wine cups to $39.99 for the Flash Chilled Iced Tea Maker.

About Takeya USA

Takeya (pronounced tah-KAY-ya) USA, a subsidiary of Takeya Japan, is a manufacturer of innovative food and beverage containers. Building upon 50 years of design expertise, the company enriches consumer’s lives by using modern ideas, a rich palette of colors, food-safe materials, unique functionality and high-quality craftsmanship. Takeya provides real solutions that save the American consumer money, are eco-friendly and promote a healthy lifestyle. More information is available at www.takeyausa.com.

Electric kettle sales in the US are rapidly increasing, along with the rise in tea consumption. Aroma Housewares, the nation’s top electric kettle brand according to the NPD group, has experienced this growth first hand. Electric kettles provide big advantages over their stovetop forbearers: they’re faster, safer and easier to pour. Once purchased, an electric kettle quickly becomes an indispensable part of the home.

San Diego (Vocus/PRWEB ) June 22, 2010 — America may still be a nation of coffee drinkers, but tea is steadily steeping its way into kitchens across the nation. Tea consumption in the US (already a $7 billion industry) has sky rocketed over the past few years. Long a household staple in tea-loving Europe and Asia, electric kettles are quickly bubbling up in the US as well. Aroma Housewares, America’s top-selling electric kettle brand according to the NPD group, has experienced this burgeoning growth first-hand.

“Electric kettles have really taken off in the past year for us,” said Kyle Erickson, Marketing Manager for Aroma. “Consumers are beginning to realize that electric kettles are the best way to boil.”

Electric kettles do boast quite a few advantages over their stovetop forbearers. Unlike the traditional stovetop kettle, electric kettles automatically shut off once water reaches a roiling boil— so there’s no need to worry about a forgotten boiling kettle.

Not only are electric kettles safer, but they’re faster too! Electric kettles from Aroma Housewares boil at a blazing “cup-a-minute” pace, nearly twice as fast as boiling on the stovetop.

Electric kettles make it extremely easy to pour the piping hot water once it is ready as well. The cool-touch handles eliminate the need for oven mitts. Many of Aroma’s electric kettles also feature cordless pouring for easy serving anywhere in the home.

More and more Americans are quickly realizing that an electric kettle is the perfect solution for their hot beverage needs. Aroma’s electric kettles are ideal not only for brewing favorite tea varieties, but also quick and delicious hot chocolate, invigorating instant coffee, a simple and scrumptious noodle dinner or even for promptly preparing a batch of baby formula.

In fact, in an Aroma consumer survey, over 81% of consumers who owned an electric kettle reported using it everyday. Once families realize the advantages an electric kettle provides, it rapidly becomes an indispensable part of the home.