We Finally Know When Just Ice Tea Will Hit Shelves
In May, Coca-Cola announced that 2022 would be the end of the line for Honest Tea, a socially-aware iced tea brand that Coca-Cola took over in 2011 (via CNN). However, the decision may have been brewing since as early as fall 2020, when a Coca-Cola press release announced plans to substantially pare down its beverage portfolio, terminating production of such longtime fan favorites as Tab, Odwalla, and ZICO.
As it turned out, Coca-Cola ended up keeping the Honest Tea brand, including its logo, while still cancelling production of the tea itself beyond December 31, 2022 (except with regard to the Honest Kids line, per CNN). One thing that meant is that the founders of Honest Tea would be unable to step into the breach for their faithful and disappointed customers.
Coca-Cola's decision may have been entirely reasonable from a business standpoint, as the beverage giant's October 16, 2020 press release points out. Nevertheless, it could be argued that it did Honest Tea, well, no justice. Today, however, justice, or rather Just Ice Tea is served. And we're about to tell you when Just Iced Tea, an also socially-aware beverage brand, the launch of which was teased by Honest Tea's founders, Seth Goldman and Barry Nalebuff, and now-partner, chef Spike Mendelsohn, back in June, will hit shelves and otherwise be available for retail purchase.
Just Ice Tea officially launched in September 2022
The founders of the soon-to-be erstwhile responsibly-sourced iced tea brand, Honest Tea, wasted no time putting an alternative plan in place for fans of the brand after Coca-Cola announced it would cease producing by the end of 2022. To wit, by June, they were announcing their intention to launch a new ready-to-drink tea brand that they anticipated would be as committed as Honest Tea had once been to delivering "wholesome, responsibly sourced organic beverages produced using only fair labor and farming practices."
Over the course of the summer, the company behind Just Ice Tea, Eat the Change, dropped a few hints about Just Ice Tea's planned flavor assortment, including one inspired by an Honest Tea fan favorite. Today, just days before the official beginning of fall, Eat the Change announced that Just Ice Tea has officially hit shelves and is available for sale in its initial six flavors, including Berry Hibiscus Herbal, Honey Green, Moroccoan Mint, Original Green, Peach Oolong, and ½ Tea ½ Lemonade, at retailers such as Whole Foods Markets, Hy-vee, and Central Market.
"Just Ice Tea is picking up where Honest Tea left off, but we are tripling down on our commitments to our core values – Fair Trade Certified®, organic and just sweet enough," co-founder Seth Goldman said in a statement. "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to once again serve, and hopefully expand, the community of tea growers and retailers we assembled who were abandoned by the discontinuation of Honest Tea."