North American Tea Championship Selects Best Iced Teas

Just in time for summer, the North American Tea Championship (NATC) selected 19 first-place winners during its annual Iced Tea Class evaluation. 

The championship is the only independent competition, judged by professional cuppers, to distinguish the highest-quality and best-tasting teas that are commercially available in the North American marketplace. Some winners will be featured at World Tea Expo June 7 to 9 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

NATC Judge Eliot Jordan, director of tea, Peet’s Coffee & Tea, said, “The overall cup quality standard for iced beverages is higher than it was just a few years ago. Plus, innovation has strengthened. Let’s hope these are trends that continue.”

Judge Anthony Tellin, a former tea buyer/formulator for Starbucks’ Tazo and current tea buyer/director of operations at Smith Teamaker, said, “With more options and higher quality across all iced tea channels, this summer is sure to be refreshing and delicious.”

Winners by company, tea and category:

S&D Coffee and Tea, Teafinity Sweet, Foodservice Bag-in-Box Sweetened Black 

S&D Coffee and Tea, Teafinity Unsweet, Foodservice Bag-in-Box Unflavored/Unsweetened Black 

Art of Tea, Summer Peach, Foodservice Flavored Black 

Shangri La Tea Co., Shangri La Natural, Foodservice Unflavored/Unsweetened Black 

QTrade Teas & Herbs, Summer Solstice, Foodservice Flavored Green 

Teatulia Organic Teas, Hibiscus Tea, Foodservice Herbal 

Tiki Tea, Apricot Papaya Strawberry, Instant Flavored Black 

Waterfall Tea Company, Instant Chai Latte Mix, Instant Sweetened Black 

Tiki Tea, Tiki Tea/Acai Blueberry Pomegranate, Instant Flavored Green 

Mellow Monk, LLC, Lightly Roasted Iced Green Tea, Instant Unflavored/Unsweetened Green 

Third Street Inc., Organic Hibiscus Mango Ginger, Instant Herbal 

Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Snapple Half ‘n Half (Lemonade Iced Tea), Black Flavored Ready-To-Drink 

H2M Beverages, Herbal Mist Iced Tea, Ready-To-Drink Sweetened Black 

Crystal Geyser Water, Tejava Premium Iced Tea, Ready-To-Drink Unflavored/Unsweetened Black 

TEAloe LLC, TEAloe Mint, Ready-To-Drink Flavored Green 

ITO EN (North America), TEAS’ TEA Half & Half Green Tea with Lemonade, Ready-To-Drink Sweetened Green 

ITO EN (North America), TEAS’ TEA Green Tea, Ready-To-Drink Unflavored/Unsweetened Green 

Gizmo Beverages, Tea of a Kind – Pomegranate Acai White Tea, Ready-To-Drink Herbal 

Evy Tea LLC, Tea Cuvee Amber Oolong, Ready-To-Drink Flavored Oolong