Not Just Your Grandmother's Tea
Recently, without a doubt, you have heard the term “millennial” used in many vast contexts and with frequency. We often hear it said with negative connotation, and to avoid such things within this blog post I would like to open with a definitions of “millennial”.
Millennial: (noun)
noun: millennial; plural noun: millennials; noun: Millennial; plural noun: Millennials
- a person reaching young adulthood in the early 21st century.
- Use: "the industry brims with theories on what makes millennials tick"
- a person born between the years of 1980 and 2004
For my purposes in this blog I simply aim to answer the question, “Why in recent years have we seen the trend of an increase in millennial tea consumption?”.
Of course, if you have been following my blog posts you know that I am not foreign to this trend and that I myself (by definition, a millennial) find myself drinking considerably more tea than my old friend coffee. In this realization I became perplexed and sought to find out why.
I have five theories (*I’m sure there are a plethora of more reasons*) of my own on why we, as a demographic, have made this migration towards tea.
- First, and foremost, tea has been said to offer numerous health benefits. Aside from promoting healthy, glowing skin, easing PMS pains, and boosting immunity, tea is also known to improve cholesterol levels, alleviate stress throughout the body through its antioxidant properties, and bolster cancer prevention. Furthermore, as millennials, we seem to have a more so obsession with physical attractiveness and vanity due to the increase in social media. Tea is known to help with weight loss and moreover to brighten your smile due to it changing the pH in your mouth to prevent cavities and not break down enamel (If you are worried about staining, try drinking tea through a straw.). All of our teas at Good Life tea are sugar free as well!
- As a generation we are prone to a fascination with variety and expanding our options exhaustively. Tea, as it is increasingly versatile, allows for this as it is made in such a diversity of type, flavor, and in conglomeration with so many things. At Good Life Tea alone we offer 114 different kinds of tea for you to try and enjoy! Millennials enjoy trying new things and experimentation and with teas such expansive variety it becomes more and more enticing.
(*At Good Life Tea, the tea voted best by millennials was our “Blue Eyes” for something new to try either hot or cold this season!)
>>>>> Check out our Blue Eyes here! <<<<<
- Another facet of the millennial culture proves that as we grew up on the brink of the technology boom we are predisposed to a preoccupation with the “newest thing”. We become infatuated with what is the newest technology, health or clothing trend, and, in this case, beverage. We have seen more and more local tea shops pop up in the up and coming cities and that twenty-something’s are opting more so to hang out in these as opposed to coffee houses or bars. With the recognition of this trending refreshment, a 2015 study done by YouGov.com revealed “42% of those aged 18-29 have an equal preference for tea and coffee”. Furthermore this study also says that as, aging Americans remain loyal to their cup of Joe, millennials are twice as likely to drink tea and more than a quarter of those under 30 say that they drink only tea.
>>>>> Here is one of our best selling products, the French Press! <<<<<
- In this thirst for option and variety, we are also keen on imposing our own creativity and spin on things. In the tea world we are free to do this (especially with the loose teas here at Good Life Tea!) by mixing flavors or different kinds of tea to create our own palate masterpiece. And, while our teas at Good Life do not have sugars in them, our customers have so enjoyed experimenting with putting different flavored sugars, milks, creamers, and even liqueurs into the teas for a fun twist on the typical cup of tea!
>>>>> Try one of our house made blends, C of Tranquility! <<<<<
- Finally, as previously stated, as we matured with the ever-evolving age of technology becoming newer, better, and faster we too have come to seek and be prone to find the newest and best teas available to us. Similar to wines and beers many higher end restaurants have begun to offer tea-pairing menus to their patrons. An industry for the “tea sommelier” profession has emerged in luxury hotels and more and more places are offering afternoon tea services. Millennials have become quite fond of this trend as we are also known to have a taste for filet mignon with a budget for the McDonalds quarter pounder. We have seen that while the total wholesale value of tea sold in the US has grown $8 billion the last 25 years, the prices have remained the same and affordable for us.
In my short time with Good Life Tea so far, I have learned so much and am so on board with this new trend and the millennial love of tea and all things thereof. Please let me know if you are a millennial and experience this and come see me to try any of our wonderful teas! If you're a millennial and have also caught on with this trend, feel free to comment below! Happy sipping! – Kay-tea
Here are a few more suggestions to try!