Asi Teas Enter RTD Arena with Local Brew

Savannah, Georgia-based Asi Tea, which makes all its teas from the local yaupon tree, native to the southern U.S., recently launched a ready-to-drink version of its existing dried tea range. The RTD teas combine yaupon with other native ingredients such as muscadine grapes, aronia berries, local wild mints, and wild yaupon honey in five flavors: Traditional Brew, Sweet Tea, Honey Blowwom & Mint, Muscadine, and Aronia Berry. Each 14 oz bottle contains around 30 mg of caffeine and between 372 and 428 mg of antioxidants. Currently, the RTD product is only available at southeast retailers, including Whole Foods and Sprouts, with national distribution forthcoming. Asi Tea, which takes its name from a native American brew made from the yaupon tree, is described by the company’s founder Lou Thomann, as a “local version of mate,” which he believes can capture a consumer audience broader than just Savannah locals. It is said to be slightly less bitter than its closest relation, yerba mate, and is the only significant source of caffeine that grows naturally in the U.S. Sources: Beverage Daily, Asi Tea