Sharyn Johnston – founder of Australian Tea Masters, the largest and most accredited tea blending business in Australia, who also has the tea-based skincare product Teager Balm – received a lot of attention at the recent World Tea Expo, held March 27-29 in Las Vegas.
Johnston was one of the winners of the 2023 Devan Shah Tea Tycoons competition in the innovation category for her new venture, SINENSIS.
The Devan Shah Tea Tycoons is an entrepreneurial-focused competition and awards program for the tea industry that celebrates and honors emerging small businesses that are producing or sharing innovative and new products for the global tea industry.
SINENSIS is a new range of non-alcoholic beverages that are inspired by tea and created, brewed and bottled in Australia. Each variant in the range is a unique fusion of tea and grapes, offering a wine-like, sophisticated and refreshing alternative to traditional alcoholic drinks.
The creators of SINENSIS – Johnston and Lucy Procipou, a food scientist and SINENSIS business partner – wanted to provide an alternative to traditional alcohol-based beverages that combined the best qualities of tea and wine, while catering to diverse tastes, preferences and lifestyles.
According to Johnston, SINENSIS beverages are rich in natural antioxidants and calming l-theanine from the tea leaves. These components provide health benefits such as promoting overall wellbeing, supporting heart health and potentially reducing stress.
To learn more, World Tea News spoke with Johnston for this first article of a three-part series that highlights each of the three winners of the 2023 Devan Shah Tea Tycoons Competition.
Question: Hi, Sharyn! Thanks for your time and congratulations on winning the Devan Shah Tea Tycoons competition in the Innovation category. How did that feel?
Answer: Winning the Devan Shah Tea Tycoons competition at World Tea Expo in the Innovation category was an incredible experience. It was truly rewarding to see our hard work and dedication pay off and be recognized by the tea industry.
Question: What was it like competing live on stage – in front of a large crowd – at the Devan Shah Tea Tycoons competition?
Answer: Competing live on stage in front of a large crowd was both exhilarating and nerve-wracking. The energy and excitement of the audience made the experience truly unforgettable, and we were grateful for the opportunity to share our passion and vision for SINENSIS with others.
Question: What can you tell us about SINENSIS and the current product line? How’s it made? What teas are featured?
Answer: SINENSIS is a range of non-alcoholic beverages made by blending the world's finest teas with high-quality grapes, and it is created, brewed and bottled in Australia.
Our current product line features three unique blends: White Tea Sauvignon, Blush Tea Rosé and Black Tea Cabernet Shiraz.Each blend is crafted with precision, using carefully sourced tea leaves and Australian grapes.
The White Tea Sauvignon is a crisp and refreshing blend of white grapes and Joonjak green tea from Boseong in Korea.
The Blush Tea Rosé offers a subtle floral flavor with a touch of sweetness, and it's made with handpicked silver needle white tea from the rainforests of Java, Indonesia, and carefully selected Shiraz grapes.
The Black Tea Cabernet Shiraz is a full-flavored blend that presents intense notes of berry, cedar and light pepper, created by blending Shiraz grapes and Himalayan Shangri La Gold black tea from Nepal.
Question: When did you officially launch SINENSIS?
Answer: We officially launched SINENSIS at World Tea Expo 2023, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. We're thrilled to see so many people embracing our unique fusion of tea and grapes and enjoying the sophisticated, refreshing taste of SINENSIS.
Question: What led you to the idea of SINENSIS?
Answer: The idea for SINENSIS came from our desire to create a refreshing and flavorful non-alcoholic beverage that also offers the health benefits of tea. We wanted to combine the rich taste of tea with the bold flavors of grapes to create an innovative and unique product.
We tasted many non-alcoholic beverages both locally and internationally and did not find anything that we thought was outstanding. Many contained sugar and none we tried contained tea.
Question: Do you think SINENSIS fits into a new category that has a lot of potential within the world of tea?
Answer: Absolutely! We believe that SINENSIS fits into a new category of non-alcoholic beverages that has enormous potential within the world of tea. As more people seek out healthy and sophisticated drink options, SINENSIS combines the best of both tea and grape-based beverages, offering a versatile and healthy alternative to alcoholic drinks. We think that SINENSIS will continue to grow in popularity.
Question: How are you selling SINENSIS?
Answer: SINENSIS is currently being sold through our online SINENSIS store and the Australian Tea Masters’ website. We have had a lot of interest internationally, and we are working to expand distribution to restaurants, bars, and health food distributors both in Australia and around the globe.
Question: What challenges did you face when developing SINENSIS? How long did it take to create the product?
Answer: Developing SINENSIS involved overcoming several challenges, including perfecting the fusion of tea and grapes. I first completed a wine making course to have a good understanding of the processes involved in making wine.
We had to choose the teas to be used with the right characteristics. We then had to source the grapes which had to be processed in a certain way for the production and extraction of the flavors. We completed many trials of the blends over a two-year period, and we completed stability tests to ensure consistent quality. There were many liters of brews discarded over this period of time.
The entire process took about two years from concept to launch.
Question: Beyond the positive reception at Tea Tycoons, how did the tea industry react to SINENSIS at World Tea Expo 2023?
Answer: The tea industry's reaction to SINENSIS at World Tea Expo 2023 was overwhelmingly positive. Many people were intrigued by the unique concept and praised the innovative approach to non-alcoholic beverages.
It has been tasted in Japan, Indonesia, Korea and the U.S. now, and many tea professionals are excited that we have created a beverage that mimics wine using tea as a base.
Question: Do you have interest in SINENSIS from the bar and restaurant community?
Answer: Yes, we have received interest from the bar and restaurant community, as they see the potential for SINENSIS to cater to a growing demand for non-alcoholic beverage options.
We have found that SINENSIS is unique in flavor and when served in a wine glass is outstanding. It pairs well with food as well, or on its own.
Question: In addition to winning the Devan Tea Tycoons competition at World Tea Expo, what are some of your successes with SINENSIS thus far? Has SINENSIS received some attention in Australia?
Answer: The international tea community has applauded our success with the beverage, and we’ve received positive feedback from the general beverage industry. We are also so excited to have gained the attention of the international market and from sommeliers in the wine industry.
Question: How would you describe the state of the tea industry in Australia right now?
Answer: The tea industry in Australia is currently experiencing steady growth, with an increasing focus on specialty teas, blended teas, the health benefits of tea, and interest in tea sustainability. We provide white label custom blending [at Australian Tea Masters], and we have many inquires from different businesses to create unique blends using tea as a base. Our tea education arm is experiencing significant growth as the interest in tea accelerates.
Question: Do you have any thoughts on the tea industry in North America? What trends have you noticed and are paying attention to?
Answer: In North America, we've noticed trends such as the growing popularity of specialty teas, tea-infused products, and an increasing demand for healthy beverage options using herbs and tea combined. We were inundated with enquiries at World Tea Expo for education and consultancy. It was wonderful to see the Bar & Restaurant Expo come together with tea. We also noticed that specialty coffee roasters are looking for specialty tea menus to support their specialty coffee offerings.
Question: What advice do you have for other tea entrepreneurs, or those who want to innovate with tea?
Answer: Our advice for other tea entrepreneurs is to be persistent, innovative and open to experimentation. The tea industry offers endless possibilities, so don't be afraid to think outside the box and create something unique.
Question: Thanks for your time! Last question: What’s next for SINENSIS?
Answer: As for what's next for SINENSIS, we have four products in line to launch – which are non-alcoholic cocktails – we plan to explore new markets and continue to innovate within the non-alcoholic beverage industry. We're excited about the future and look forward to sharing our passion for tea with even more people. We want to include tea into as many healthy beverages as possible!
To learn more about SINENSIS, visit Sinensis.com.au.
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