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Cocktail Culture Reaches Tea as Whittard of Chelsea Launches New Line

Pat Evans
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Whittard of Chelsea

For the mornings when a cocktail sounds perfect, but you don’t want to be that guy that early, a new line of tea will keep your early hours booze-free as Whittard of Chelsea is releasing a line of cocktail-inspired teas.

The line includes six different teas: peach bellini, limoncello, tropical punch, mojito, white sangria, and Moscow mule. The line is currently a limited edition line for this summer.

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Whittard of Chelsea will release the teas at their stores in the United Kingdom on Thursday. There was no indication of a U.S. launch, but Whittard does have online ordering and is also on Amazon .

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“We wanted to create a range of exceptional quality teas that would resonate with our customers while capturing our unique, innovative approach,” said Mandie Porter, Whittard of Chelsea Head of Buying and Creative. “The bright pastel packaging, experimental flavors, and convenient iced teabag formats bring summer to life in a relaxed, fun manner.”

Packaged in colorful pastel tins, the teas come in loose leaf form, but three of the flavors — mojito, Moscow mule, and white sangria — come in pitcher-sized bags for large one-liter batches.

Whittard of Chelsea

The flavors were developed by Whittard’s in-house team of specialists, as they searched to evoke cocktail-like essences in their products. Here is a deeper look at the flavor profiles for each of the blends:

  • Peach Bellini: A green tea base with passionfruit, apricot, and peach along with marigold petals.
  • Limoncello: A fruit and herb infusion of lemongrass,  lemon peel, blackberry leaves, and apple.
  • Tropical Punch: Green tea with mango, apple, and beetroot. The green tea flavor is amplified by coating the leaves in Japanese matcha.
  • Mojito: An infusion of three types of mint, lime, and lemon with cinnamon and moringa.
  • White Sangria: Apple, pineapple, and mango blended with ginger.
  • Moscow Mule: An herbal infusion with plenty of ginger, the tea also uses lemon balm and peppermint.

The drawing of flavors in the tea industry from the bar isn’t odd, as cocktail culture has surged recently. Likewise, tea has merged into the alcohol space as more companies are seeking to draw consumers with innovative products.

As many breweries and spirit companies search for new ways to draw in customers, others are also concentrating on those looking to sip on non-alcoholic beverages that still taste as though they might be booze, like Athletic Brewing Company and Lagunitas Brewing Company.

Whittard of Chelsea has seen plenty of trends and innovation since Walter Whittard opened his shop in 1886. Back then, Whittard’s philosophy was simply “Buy the best.” Now, the company strives to innovate the best as well, as it sells products ranging from English Breakfast tea to a variety of hot chocolates — and now, cocktail-inspired teas.

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Pat Evans
Pat Evans
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Pat Evans is a writer based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, focusing on food and beer, spirits, business, and sports. His full…
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