Beer festivals. They have grown exponentially in recent years, showcasing tons of vendors who create unique craft brews to share to the public. Now, what makes a beer craft? Craft breweries are small, independently owned and use innovative and traditional methods in their brewing techniques.
That’s where it all started for Kyle of Subtle Tea. It began with just attending craft beer festivals, but after some time, it quickly grew into something much more. He began to learn more and more about the brewers present and the overall craft-brewing world. But when August (provide year) came around, Kyle had his “ah-ha” moment.
August in Long Island can be sweltering. And sometimes, beer can’t quite quench your thirst. And it was in that exact moment that it cameo Kyle: “I had a legitimate light bulb moment – beer is brewed; tea is brewed. Why isn’t there a craft tea?!” Since then, Kyle has been on a mission to be the trailblazer for the craft tea movement.
WHY CRAFT TEA?
Kyle grew up loving and appreciating tea, but wanted to keep the nuances of the craft brewed world present in his products. So what makes Subtle Tea stand out from the rest of the crowd?
“It tastes like tea – something that is overlooked,” Kyle shares. In a world where almost everything is pumped with high fructose corn syrup, Subtle Tea sticks with organic, REAL ingredients. All of the teas are made with organic cane sugar, no extracts and no preservatives. And the best part? “Brewing our tea is done the same way that you would in your home. I’ve [even] had teabags the size of pillowcases!” Subtle Tea’s craft brewing truly makes you feel like you’re enjoying tea that was just brewed on your pot at home.
THE FUTURE
As for the future, Kyle has some exciting plans. In addition to working on a sweet potato tea for the fall (YUM!), “we’re looking to expand to have a brick and mortar space. We’re the only iced tea company that produces completely in Long Island. It takes away from the local nature to have products co-packaged and not completely produced here.” Here at Cornucopia, we absolutely love supporting our local communities and companies. We are excited to have Kyle keep the business on Long Island to further promote the sense of family seen in our community here.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE MEAL TO HAVE SUBTLE TEA WITH?
One of the great things about Subtle Tea is it’s versatility – it can be enjoyed with just about anything you can think of. Kyle’s favorite – “a good meaty, quality burger. Because you don’t need to have a beer to go with your burger.” From bagel sandwiches in the morning to family dinners each night, Subtle Tea is the perfect addition to any meal.
WORKING WITH CORNUCOPIA
In addition to selling bottled teas, Subtle Tea is now featured on our new tap system at the deli. Kyle put it perfectly why our partnership works so well. He shares how there are people from all walks of life that are passionate in one way or another about wellness and healthy living. Kyle shares – “Cornucopia has created a community here…[and with it] greatness is cultivated where people understand the quality of things.” We want to promote healthy lifestyle choices to people with good quality, real ingredients. And Subtle Tea fits right in.
Our most recent collaboration with Kyle was for our Grand Reopening at the beginning of the month. He provided 100 FREE bottles that we shared in our doorbuster goodie bags given to the first 100 lucky customers who stopped by. It was and always is so great to promote our local partners that are providing good quality, real products. So if you haven’t had the chance yet, make sure to come by the store to get a glass of Subtle Tea’s Raspberry tea now available on tap at our deli. Kyle is on his way to even more greatness, and we couldn’t be happier to be along for the ride.
