North American Tea Championship Selects Best Iced Teas For Summer 2013

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May 21, 2013, 04:46 ET

LAS VEGAS, May 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Just in time for summer and National Iced Tea Month (June), 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 (www.WorldTeaExpo.com), June 7 – 9, 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 (company, tea and category):

S&D Coffee and Tea (www.sndcoffee.com), Teafinity Sweet, Foodservice Bag-in-Box Sweetened Black
S&D Coffee and Tea (www.sndcoffee.com), Teafinity Unsweet, Foodservice Bag-in-Box Unflavored/Unsweetened Black
Art of Tea (www.artoftea.com), Summer Peach, Foodservice Flavored Black
Shangri La Tea Co. (www.shangrilaicedtea.com), Shangri La Natural, Foodservice Unflavored/Unsweetened Black
QTrade Teas & Herbs (www.qtradeteas.com), Summer Solstice, Foodservice Flavored Green
Teatulia Organic Teas (www.teatulia.com), Hibiscus Tea, Foodservice Herbal
Tiki Tea (www.tikitea.com), Apricot Papaya Strawberry, Instant Flavored Black
Waterfall Tea Company (www.waterfallteas.com), Instant Chai Latte Mix, Instant Sweetened Black
Tiki Tea (www.tikitea.com), Tiki Tea/Acai Blueberry Pomegranate, Instant Flavored Green
Mellow Monk, LLC (www.mellowmonk.com), Lightly Roasted Iced Green Tea, Instant Unflavored/Unsweetened Green
Third Street Inc. (www.thirdstreetchai.com), Organic Hibiscus Mango Ginger, Instant Herbal
Dr. Pepper Snapple Group (www.drpeppersnapplegroup.com), Snapple Half 'n Half (Lemonade Iced Tea), Black Flavored Ready-To-Drink
H2M Beverages (www.h2mbeverages.com), Herbal Mist Iced Tea, Ready-To-Drink Sweetened Black
Crystal Geyser Water Company (www.crystalgeyser.com), Tejava Premium Iced Tea, Ready-To-Drink Unflavored/Unsweetened Black
TEAloe LLC (www.tealoe.com), TEAloe Mint, Ready-To-Drink Flavored Green
ITO EN (North America) (www.itoen.com), TEAS' TEA Half & Half Green Tea with Lemonade, Ready-To-Drink Sweetened Green
ITO EN (North America) (www.itoen.com), TEA'S TEA Green Tea, Ready-To-Drink Unflavored/Unsweetened Green
Gizmo Beverages (www.teaofakind.com) Tea of a Kind – Pomegranate Acai White Tea, Ready-To-Drink Herbal
Evy Tea, LLC (www.teacuvee.com) Tea Cuvee Amber Oolong, Ready-To-Drink Flavored Oolong