Third Street Chai and Cooper Tea Co., two specialty beverage companies based on Boulder, Colo., joined forces to launch Third Street-B.W. Cooper's Iced Tea Concentrates, a new line of organic iced tea concentrates. The co-branded tea concentrates are made from real brewed tea leaves, are USDA Organic certified, and contain no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives.

 Filled in polypropylene bottles, each quart of concentrate yields two gallons of tea that are available in four flavors: Unsweetened Black Tea, Mint Green Tea, Pomegranate Green Tea and Peach Black Tea. 

 Based on Third Street’s new flagship Chai package redesign, the package design articulates and provides an honest expression communicative of the high quality product offering, according to John Simmons, CEO. “Packaging embodies the essence and values of the product which is finely crafted, bright and flavorful,” Simmons says. “Our other main packaging goal was to bring recognition to both brands as partners in this product offering.”

 Simmons highlights the benefits of the concentrates:

The formulation represents an 87.5% weight reduction in transport versus ready-to-drink tea.

One pallet of product provides the same amount of tea as eight pallets of Arizona, Snapple, Lipton or other ready-to-drink teas.

  “If the average distance traveled by a delivery truck is 300 miles and the trucks get eight miles to a gallon of diesel, that’s 262.5 gallons of diesel saved for every truckload we ship,” he tells Food & Beverage Packaging.

Although there are no on-package claims made regarding sustainability, the company is considering such a change to the label given the positive response to the product, Simmons says. Meanwhile, they will educate brokers about the sustainable message, he adds.

The company also recently introduced a 10:1 concentrate chai tea in foodservice channels for the express purpose of lowering freight costs per ounce for the end user, Simmons points out. “This is not only environmentally friendly, it provides better value and higher margins for the foodservice provider,” he notes.

 The retail tea concentrates will be sold in grocery stores, beginning in May when they will be available exclusively at Whole Foods stores in the Rocky Mountain region at a retail price of $7.99.

 
- Rick Lingle, Executive Editor