Teakoe’s Fizzy Black Tea is the Queen’s Choice

Teakoe

Photo Credit: Teakoe

The ready-to-drink beverage market is booming, and we couldn’t resist Fizzy Black Tea Lemon Raw Honey from Teakoe. Multiple teas from this company are made with honey, and this variety is downright unique, from the cold brew concept to the organic black tea and fizzy nature intertwined in a better-for-you sweetener (honey of course). How is Teakoe standing out? What does wildflower honey add to this beverage? How does Teakoe give back to the bees? These questions are answered and more from our interview with Pete Jokisch, founder and owner. 
 
What do you think makes the Teakoe Fizzy Black Tea stand out from the competition? 
Jokisch: We’ve been in the tea business going on almost 12 years now, when we look at the marketing opportunities for us, having so many experiences with tea in general, we saw an opportunity to showcase the health benefits of tea in conjunction with flavor profiles and make it a really fun experience with the fizzy component. Combine our experience with tea and how we present it to consumers, and that’s how we saw a huge opportunity in this space. We get asked all the time: ‘What are you? Are you a traditional tea? Sparkling water? A craft soda?’ We are trying to create healthy daily habits through healthy, flavorful tea.
 
What does wildflower honey add in terms of flavor, functionality, and overall benefit to Fizzy Black Tea?
Jokisch: There's a natural synergy between tea and honey. They have been synonymous for so many years, and we wanted to take a fresh spin on that. I personally love honey. When we look at incorporating ingredients into our blends, honey not only improves the flavor profile, but people totally get what the product is. We try to blend in a few different marketing tactics there to lead more people into the equation and get them excited about it. Honey’s flavor also is one that people are accustomed to experiencing.
 
One percent of the proceeds goes to help pollinators in the Denver area. Can you talk more about this initiative and your partnership with helping the bees?
Jokisch: It’s a cool initiative — actually many years ago we built beehives for local urban gardens. We noticed urban gardens weren’t necessarily getting traditional pollination practices, so it became a challenge for us. When we realized that our expertise is not in that field, we partnered with the butterfly pavilion for help with conservation and education. We’re not just selling a product with honey. We want to help in understanding where it comes from and how beneficial it can be for our ecosystem. If we want to use an ingredient, we want to contribute back to the source of that ingredient, leaving the planet better from where we came. I think it’s important for us who use honey to give credit where credit is due — raise awareness and not only do that but understand better pollination practices. Bees are some of the most efficient creatures on this planet.
 
What does it mean for Teakoe to win the Queen's Choice Award in the RTD category? 
Jokisch: It means everything to be honest with you. When you decide to use honey, it goes beyond to just use it as a sweetener, which is what a lot of people perceive it to be used as. It helps create texture and brings so many benefits to the table. [The award] also shows we are utilizing honey appropriately. We’re using it to showcase wildflower honey and to contribute back to the bees as much as possible, and it shows we’re on the right path. It’s validating and encouraging. We will continue to use it as a product in Fizzy Black Tea, and we have three other products we use it in. To be recognized for your efforts is very rewarding for our team in general. 
 
I appreciate the work that the National Honey Board does. It’s a great resource for when people want to learn more about honey, bees, and incorporating honey into your health. You’re setting a standard for a resource where people can learn. I appreciate when people dedicate themselves to something that matters; I’m very appreciative of the work that you do.