7 American Tea Companies You’ll Love

Every day, the first order of business before I sit down to work on Destination Tea, is to brew myself something delicious. Over the years, I’ve been sent many tea samples and found others on my tea travels, and thought to share some of my favorites with you for restocking your winter tea supply. These would also make great Valentine’s Day gifts for your tea friends. There are certainly more to discover, but for now, here are several yummy teas that inspire instant good mood (and where to find them online).

Great Mississippi Tea Company

We begin with the most American tea company in this list — they grow and process their own teas here in Brookhaven, Mississippi. On a mission to be a U.S. leader in tea science, employment standards and sustainability, tea farmers Jason McDonald and Timothy Gipson at Great Mississippi Tea Company help educate new American tea farmers and us tea drinkers (check their socials for tea talk videos). Their tea selection includes black, oolong, green, pine needle, yellow and flavored teas. And if you’re in the neighborhood, you can sign up for a tea farm tour.

Two to try: Grilled Southern Peach (pecan smoked black/oolong blend with dried peaches) and Mississippi Sunshine (yellow tea) – www.greatmsteacompany.com

Ashford Tea Company

We met founder and tea sommelier Wayne Ashford when we visited Ashford Tea Company in Savannah, Georgia. Traveling abroad and working with tea brokers, Wayne sources teas from Japan, Egypt, China, Taiwan, Indonesia and Kenya, also creating signature blends. His tea selection includes black, oolong, white, green, rooibos, pu erh, herbals and purple tea, which Wayne is particularly happy to carry in celebration of a specialty African tea. If you’re in Savannah, you can stop by the shop for a tea tasting to find a new favorite, or reserve an afternoon tea.

Two to try: Kenya Purple (hand-plucked from their Nandi Hills Tea Garden) and Maple Walnut Green (blended with Canadian maple syrup, walnuts and brittle) – www.ashfordtea.co

Steven Smith Teamaker

Having founded two now well-known tea companies (Stash and Tazo), Steven Smith came out of retirement to start Steven Smith Teamaker out of his hometown in Portland, Oregon. We love that the website has an “Origins & Ingredients” page where you can look up your batch number to learn exactly where your tea was harvested, and an interactive map that details every place they source their ingredients. Their tea selection includes green, white, oolong, black, pu-erh, herbals and flavored blends.

Two to try: Lover’s Leap (Sri Lankan and Assam black tea blended with pink rose petals, chamomile petals and bergamot oil) and Blend No. 45 Peppermint Leaves (peppermint from Pacific Northwest) – www.smithtea.com

Herbs & Kettles

Full disclosure, Herbs & Kettles founder Poorvi Chordia and I have been fast friends ever since we met in 2022. Impressively, she is an Atlanta doctor, mom and tea sommelier, who started her tea company to bring delicious Indian teas to the States. Poorvi views her business practices as an investment in the future of Indian farmers and their land’s wildlife conservation. She visits India several times a year to personally select teas that are single-origin (all the tea is from one farm) and single-batch (all the tea is from the same season, same date), and only uses real botanicals to flavor her blends. Her tea selection includes white, green, oolong, black, muscatel, yellow, purple and ayurvedic herbals, as well as six chai blends.

Two to try: White Geranium (whole leaf white tea with geranium leaves) and Rose Cardamom Chai (Assam black tea, cardamom, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, black pepper and rose petals) – www.herbsandkettles.com

Song Tea & Ceramics

Founded by Peter Luong in San Francisco, Song Tea & Ceramics works closely with the craftspeople who make their teas, importing traditional, rare and experimental varieties from clean growing regions in China and Taiwan. If you’re in the San Fran area, visitors to their tea studio can attend tea tastings and classes, and shop their collection of imported handcrafted ceramic wares. Their tea selection includes green, white, oolong, red (black), aged (pu erh), matcha, and herbal blends.

Two to try: Snow Jasmine (Gan Lu green tea scented with jasmine flowers) and Nantou Dark Sequel (mid-oxidized oolong, roasted 12 times) – www.songtea.com

Herbs Make Scents

Last year, I had the joy of sharing afternoon tea with Terri Michaelson of Massachusetts tea company Herbs Make Scents. Full disclosure, she sponsored our Irish Afternoon Tea party guide, pairing her teas with our suggested menu. Terri hand blends small batches of her teas, using organic and fair-trade ingredients. She has a goal to grow her business so that she can increase her charitable donations (a portion of all Herbs Make Scents sales goes to The Little Things Non Profit and Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation). Her tea selection includes green, white, black and herbal blends, as well as cold brew tea bags.

Two to try: L.O.V.E. (lavender, orange peel and vanilla blended with Earl Grey) and Moon Milk (butterfly pea flowers, chamomile flowers and lavender buds) – www.herbsmakescents.com

Firebelly Tea

We love this company started by DAVIDsTEA founder David Segal in 2021 because of their earth-friendly and real-ingredient values. They use compostable packaging, no artificial flavorings and certified organic ingredients. Their tea selection includes black, green, herbal, matcha and mate. We also love their large stainless steel infuser to allow tea leaves to fully open for the best brew.

Two to try: The Crowd Pleaser (organic black tea with vanilla and almond) and After Dinner Mint (rooibos with cocoa, peppermint, roasted chicory root and valerian root) – www.firebellytea.com

Do You Have A Favorite Teamaker?

We are always expanding our tea universe at Destination Tea, so if you’ve got a favorite tea we need to know about, please drop a comment here or send us an email. And thank you for being part of our tea journey!

DestinationTea
Tea Voyageuse, discovering the world of afternoon tea, based in Atlanta, Georgia.

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