Tiesta Tea sampling

Tiesta Tea Company is a loose-leaf tea company based out of Chicago, Illinois. Their all-natural, loose-leaf teas are packed with high quality fruits and herbs from around the globe. Tiesta Teas are organized into five functional lines that explain the effects they have on the drinker (Energizer, Slenderizer, Relaxer, Immunity and Eternity).

Fans of Dutch DJ Tiësto might wonder whether there’s a connection between the brand and the music. None whatsoever. The word “Tiesta” is a combination of Fiesta and Siesta. A party (Fiesta) and sweet nap (Siesta) bring joy and pleasure to life; the company set out to recreate that experience in tea. So, they added a T (as in TEA) in front of “-iesta” and Tiesta was born.

Tiesta’s birth happened while a couple of close childhood friends were on a study abroad trip. One night, Dan and Patrick visited a traditional tea house in Prague, ordering a well-known fruit tea. They were both impressed and inspired; upon their return home to Chicago, they got the ball rolling and started Tiesta Tea in summer 2010.

Earlier this month, Tiesta Tea was recognized by Forbes as one of 2013’s Fan’s Choice for Most Innovative Consumer Brand. Out of 200 nominations, experts picked 25 out of the bunch. Facebook and Twitter were also utilized in reaching out to their fan base.

Tiesta Tea: Peaches n' Cream, Gojiberry Superfruit being steeped
[Peaches n’ Cream, Gojiberry Superfruit being steeped]

Nearly 80% of the world drinks tea, putting it second only to water. Of that 80%, only 15% drink loose-leaf tea. However, this is a 35% increase since last year. Loose-leaf teas are made with all-natural ingredients, providing both greater health benefits and richer flavors than artificial alternatives.

The Tiesta collection contains 50 teas. We chose and sampled four, one from each line: Peaches n’ Cream (Relaxer), Gojiberry Superfruit (Eternity), Chinese Jasmine Pearl (Slenderizer) and Victorian Earl Grey (Energizer).

Peaches n' Cream Tiesta Tea
[Peaches n’ Cream]

Peaches n’ Cream has an amazing aroma from the minute you open the tin. Bits of peach, apple, and hibiscus marry with a caffeine-free rooibos tea for a soothing drinking experience.

Gojiberry Superfruit Tiesta Tea
[Gojiberry Superfruit]

Gojiberry Superfruit is a green tea-based blend with lemongrass, pomegranate seeds, and goji berries, all delightfully blended with the green tea leaves for a not-too-tangy, slightly sweet experience. I never flavour my teas with sugar, so the blend has to work for me as is. This is my favorite tea of the bunch, and I’m not even a huge pomegranate fan! This was a refreshing midday break experience along with a slice of my homemade banana oatmeal bread.

Chinese Jasmine Pearl Tiesta Tea
[Chinese Jasmine Pearl]

Next up for tasting was the Chinese Jasmine Pearls. With a low caffeine content, it’s a perfect afternoon sipper.

Victorian Earl Grey Tiesta Tea
[Victorian Earl Grey]

Our resident black tea lover found the Victorian Earl Grey colourful and fragrant right from the start of brewing through to the floral, crisper taste in the cup.

Each tin and package lists complete brewing instructions and the tins have a handy side view window to show how much tea is left inside.

There’s some great mixes available with entertaining names such as Fruity Pebbles, Pomegranatopia, Banana Split, and Figgy Pop.

Enjoying a cup of Gojiberry Superfruit with my homemade banana bread
[Enjoying a cup of Gojiberry Superfruit with my homemade banana-oatmeal bread]

Dan Klein, Patrick Tannous, Bobby Moynihan, and Alex Sosnov have all left their personal messages on the tea pouch: Discovered by Dan and Patrick in Prague, Designed by Bobby in Chicago, and Blended by Alex In Chicago. Their teas are available in shops across the US Midwest, but I made sure to check that Tiesta ships to Canada and the answer is yes. Use my coupon code Tea4VS to receive 15% off your web order (plus free shipping within the US).

Disclaimer: We were sent Tiesta Teas for the purpose of sampling and writing this article.

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