TWIG – Cold Brew Premium Teas
Alex Rückheim
Founded by tea fanatic, yoga teacher and Japan lover, Iona Carter, TWIG Teas source, cold brew and bottle premium quality teas. After spending her holiday in Kanazawa, where she discovered cold brewed tea for the very first time, she started experimenting with cold brewing techniques and various types of teas.
That being said, what makes TWIG so special is the fact that it is cold brewed; we are not talking about simply cold tea here, or your standard ice tea (typically brewed hot and then refrigerated). Cold brewing is a unique process that involves steeping tea leaves over a long period of time in cold water, which draws a different flavour profile from the leaf. Compared to hot brewing, the process produces fewer bitter catechins and caffeine, resulting in a sweeter, smoother taste and a naturally refreshing drink. And believe us, you can taste the difference!
As tea purists, “I wanted to create a range of tea drinks that allowed the flavour of real tea to sing for itself, rather than drowning it in fruit flavours and sugar.”
Currently, the TWIG family comprises four teas, including two black teas: a Darjeeling from India, and a Keemun from China; as well as an Oolong from Taiwan; and a roasted green tea from Japan:
Darjeeling, 'The Champagne of Teas’, originates from India. The 2nd flush black Darjeeling is grown on the ethically-minded Arya estate, established by 18th Century Buddhist monks in the lush green mountains of Darjeeling;
Keemun, from China, used to be known as 'The King of Black Teas’. Keemun is grown exclusively in Qimen, Anhui province, situated between the Yellow Mountains and the Yangtze River;
Oolong is a unique, partially oxidised tea, which sits between black and green varieties. TWIG uses Formosa Oolong, from the Northern Hsinchu area of Taiwan, which grows at an altitude of 800m and has an oxidisation level of 65%;
Bōcha is a Japanese roasted green tea made using the twigs and stalks of the tea plant, rather than the leaves. TWIG’s is produced by the tea master Mr Nakagawa, in Shiga Prefecture.