Serving

To Begin: Where to Start with Tea

We Heart Tea, and can help you to, too
We Heart Tea, and can help you to, too
If you're new to the world of tea, figuring out what you need to have a successful program can be daunting. How many teas should you carry? Do you want the most popular ones, or more interesting blends that could be unique to your business? What will you store them in? How will you serve them? Will guests be staying and enjoying tea in house, or will they mostly take it to go?

Here is a quick guide to help you navigate. We have everything you need, right here, to get started while sparing you the steep learning curve. You might begin by deciding whether you're more interested in loose tea or teabags, and if you'll be brewing your own iced tea. If we can help with recommendations or more technical assistance, please send us a note. We love tea, and know it can bring you revenue, satisfied customers, and a unique edge to your business.

As far as how many to begin with? We recommend at least six. Twelve is a nice number, too, and fun to say. Twelve.

    Have a breakfast tea- a Black tea that's good with milk & sugar. English Breakfast, Assam Melody, Irish Breakfast, are good choices.
      Stock a nice Green tea - plain, scented, or blended; Jasmine, GenMaiCha, Dragonwell, Citron Green, Apricot Green, are all popular for us.
        Chai is one of the fastest growing tea categories. Masala Chai and our Vanilla Rooibos Chai are good for starters. The latter is caffeine-free.
          Oolong and Pu erh. Not everyone will recognize these tea categories, but your tea connoisseurs will, and will appreciate their complex and unique tastes.
            White teas are not just hot water. Their delicate flavors make excellent all-day drinking. Blueberry White and Jasmine Silver Needles are in high demand.
              Herbal teas are not tea by scientific name, but are any number of herbs, fruits, spices. They typically don't have caffeine, and have health benefits in their own right. Chamomile and Peppermint are basic and easily recognized, Hibiscus and Rooibos blends are increasingly popular.

              Loose Tea:
              Adagio gourmet loose teas are sourced direct from origin and expertly blended in our state-of-the-art facility. Over 200 fresh varieties available for immediate shipment.

              Benefits of Loose Tea include:

            • Versatility- Make a lot or a little at a time, in whatever brewing system you may choose.
            • Maximum earnings- A pound of tea produces approximately 200 servings, while perception of a premium offering allows you to upsell to your guests a fine pot of loose tea over a forgettable teabag. Cha-ching!
            • Proprietary- Use a few to blend your own, or rename ours to suit your business and exude exclusivity (we won't tell).

              Unsure of where to begin? Seasonal bestsellers are listed in the right hand column of our wholesale page . You can also sort each tea classification by Rating (left side), as voted upon by hundreds of thousands of customers. This is a popularity contest, and our selection evolves accordingly.

              Teas arrive in resealable bags with explicit instructions for preparation: how much tea, at what temperature, and for how long.

              Service and Prep:
              To serve your customers, try our ingenious IngenuiTea teapot, or select from our collection of porcelain, glass, Yixing clay, and cast iron pots and cups. Individual and multiple sized serving vessels available.

              Our NEW durable Stainless Steel Infuser works with your existing serviceware and will endure a lifetime of use.

              For maximum versatility, our Paper Filters allow you to easily make your own "teabags" for-here or to-go at just pennies per serving. Try with our Hot Ripple Cups for the complete take-anywhere package.

              Storage and Display:
              Light, air, and other odors are tea's most pernicious offenders. Keep them at bay with one of our storage solutions- UV protected glass jars, or airtight metal tins do the trick.
              (coming soon!) Present loose tea on your countertop or tableside with our enticing display.

              Full Leaf Pyramid Tea Bags:
              Gourmet tea bags combine the superior flavor of loose tea with the convenience of a disposable bag. We don't skimp on quality; we use the same full leaf premium teas as our loose offerings.

              Benefits of Pyramid Tea Bags include:

            • Convenience- No measuring of dry leaves or cleanup afterwords means more time with your customers and less time on prep.
            • Perfection- Full leaf pyramid bags await only hot water for a perfect cup, their pyramid shape providing ample room for leaves to fully expand and infuse hot water with abundant flavor.
            • Quality- These are no ordinary teabags that usually contain dust or fannings and impart unremarkable flavor. We use the same premium full leaf teas as our loose offerings.

              All teas are available in teabags, as listed with each tea's page. These come in resealable pouches with explicit brew instructions so you can serve tea like an expert.
              For individually wrapped teabags, visit our Teabags page. Bulk foodservice quantities available in both formats. Send me a note for more details.

              Catering an event or need tea for your office? Try a Gourmet Collection of assorted tea bags, available in 2 styles, each offering 6 best selling teas. Choose Sweet Medley or Artisan Comfort.

              Service and Prep:
              Our adorable Ceramic Teapot was designed specifically to house our pyramid teabags. Offer your guests the memorable experience of a full teapot of gourmet tea.
              We also have durable glassware in various shapes and sizes to dazzle your customers.

              Hot Ripple Cups in 2 sizes complete your convenient to-go service offering.

              Storage and Display:
              Light, air, and other odors are tea's most pernicious offenders. Keep them at bay with one of our storage solutions- UV protected glass jars, or airtight metal tins do the trick.

              Our wooden chest, steel countertop rack, or glass display announce your tea selection in handsome style.

              Iced Tea:
              Iced tea is so popular, Americans prefer it to the tune of 80% of all tea sales. Iced tea made with fresh tea leaves offers pure refreshment at a surprisingly attractive price. Ours is available organic and unsweetened in RTD bottles, in easy pre-portioned quart and gallon pouches, or brew your own from one of our 200+ fresh teas.

              Benefits of Whole Leaf Iced Tea include:

            • Profitability- The average cost of a 16oz serving of iced tea is a mere 4ยข, affording you substantial earnings with each pour.
            • Customization- Brewing whole leaf iced tea guarantees superior taste, quality, and aroma. Add other juices, fresh herbs or fruit, and sweetener for unique house blends.
            • Healthful- Distinct health benefits are to be found from drinking freshly brewed tea, not the case with most extracts or concentrates or overly flavored "tea" concoctions.

              Not sure where to start? We have 8 best selling teas in 1 gallon portions ready for you to get brewing. Use one at a time, or add 3 to your commercial brewer.

              If you are using a commercial 3 gallon brewer, contact us for assistance with ideal brew settings to get the most from your machine. Most default "quick brew" settings run a minimal amount of hot water through the brew basket and fill the rest with water. Yum, water. To get the most of your gourmet loose tea, a few adjustments will allow the leaves to fully steep and extract the most flavor.
              One pound of tea makes approximately four 3-gallon brews, using 3-4oz per batch.

              Service and Prep:
              Our 32oz IngenuiTea is handy for making batches of iced tea. Turn any of our gourmet teas into frosty refreshment by brewing leaves at double or triple strength and diluting to taste.
              Use with our Glass Pitcher and Iced Tea Glasses for elegant tableside service.