The arrival of Spring is a reminder to update your tea business assortment.
Gone are the spicier, sweeter references ideal for milk teas. They are replaced by floral and fruity flavors, as well as a special section that enchants many: iced teas.
In this post, we unveil what you should consider when creating your selection of iced teas.
Summer Ingredients and Flavors for Your Tea Assortment
As mentioned In our iced tea guide, all teas are suitable for cold consumption. It all depends on the consumer’s taste.
But there are undoubtedly some flavors that are more suitable for cold consumption. This is because they remind us of classic summer drinks and cocktails or are more refreshing on hotter days.
Fruity Flavors
Teas and infusions with fruit flavors are the most popular for cold consumption. Among them are summer and tropical fruit teas such as peach, mango, passion fruit, or pineapple.
Red fruits and berries like strawberry, blueberry, or blackberry are also good options for serving with ice.
Finally, we have citrus flavors: lemon, orange, or grapefruit which form the base of summer classics.
One citrus deserves a special place: bergamot. Drinking an Earl Grey with ice and a few slices of lime can be invigorating for the mind and the body. Offer your customers the Russian Earl Grey variant, which not only has a bergamot aroma but also includes some summer star ingredients such as lemon and grapefruit.
Cocktail Flavor
The heat makes you crave for any cold beverage.
You can offer your customers the perfect and healthiest solution: teas with flavors that remind you of famous cocktails (healthier than an alcoholic cocktail). Some examples may include mojito green tea, Limoncello, or Sweetheart, with an amaretto flavor.
Pure Teas
Pure teas are also ideal for cold brewing. There are primarily three families to consider: green tea, black tea, and Oolong.
For the green tea family, you can offer Chinese Sencha or Japanese Gyokuro for those who seek something more exclusive.
In the case of black teas, Ceylon or an African tea like Kenya represent an excellent choice.
And finally for Oolong, we recommend those teas that are not heavily oxidized. For example, you can opt for a simple and common one from China, or if you want to offer something more exclusive we can recommend a Tie Guan Yin.
Healthy Iced Teas
The trend towards healthier options continues to grow. You should include in your assortment iced teas that offer additional benefits, such as the antioxidants in green teas or herbs known for their relaxing or digestive properties.
Slimming teas are also popular, and with a citrus flavor, they become a perfect ally for the elimination of fluids.
What Teas Should I Include in My Selection of Iced Teas?
Pure teas, flavored teas, novelties, classic flavors… It’s easy to get lost among so many options. This is why we always have the same recommendation when selecting your iced tea assortment: talk to your supplier.
Consulting with your sales advisor will be the best way to know what is already working in other businesses or to learn about this year’s iced tea trends. They can also tell you which teas and infusions you currently have in your assortment that are suitable to be promoted for cold consumption.
In any case, we recommend dividing your iced tea selection into 3 groups: pure teas, flavored blends, and caffeine-free infusions.
Regarding the number of references, there is no ideal number. As a general rule, around 10% of your references should be suitable for cold consumption.
