Shaka Tea at Expo West (Photo by Elizabeth Dobos)
HILO, Hawaii and ANAHEIM, Calif.— Shaka Tea, the first line of authentically Hawaiian iced teas on the market brewed from mamaki, announced on International Women’s Day at Expo West its expansion into the premium dried tea category, as well as a collaboration with contemporary, Native Hawaiian artist Nanea Lum. Last week, this line of premium teas for home brewing debuted exclusively online on Shaka Tea’s website and on Amazon. Shaka Tea will offer three fun and functional flavors: Mamaki Sunrise, a caffeine-free, awakening blend; Mamaki Sunset, a caffeine-free, calming blend and a fun, distinctive, color-changing tea, Mamaki Blue Magic.
All three flavors blend USDA organic, Hawaii-grown, hand picked mamaki leaves grown by a woman farmer in Puna with a variety of natural botanical and herbal teas linked to a range of health benefits, including rose hips, hibiscus, lemongrass and butterfly pea.
“As a woman co-founded and led company, launching a new product line specifically geared to women consumers, using mamaki grown by a woman, having artwork on the packaging from a woman artist, Nanea Lum, it is great to be launching at Expo West on International Women’s Day! Our dried tea line really enables us to explore a more functional route and usage of blending our core, hero ingredient, Hawaiian mamaki with other functional herbal – botanicals,” shared Bella Hughes, co-founder and president. “Shaka Tea’s Mamaki Sunrise is a dynamic, non-caffeinated awakening tea, which complements Mamaki Sunset, the perfect, relaxing tea to close a day. We’re also firm believers in embracing the unexpected and magical moments in life and are especially excited to be able to share one of our favorite blends – captivating, color-changing butterfly pea, with lemongrass and mamaki.”
The packaging marks Shaka Tea’s first collaboration with an artist, working with Lum, a painter whose work reflects her deep connection and love for the land, water and environment.
“Planting mamaki is an act of conservation, supporting regenerative agriculture and providing critical habitat for the endangered, pulelehua, also known as the Kamehameha Butterfly. We have a strong focus on sharing through our Hawaiian mamaki tea blends, authentic stories of our islands and it is an honor for us to collaborate with Nanea Lum, a noted, contemporary artist whose own practice focuses on sharing stories around our islands and honoring Native Hawaiian culture. Nanea’s captivating artwork depicting the Kamehameha Butterfly atop a mamaki leaf will be prominently displayed on all the bags for our new line, as well as on our website,” shared Hughes.
Retailing for $13.99 or a monthly 3-pack subscription for $29.99, each package contains 15 sachets. The ombre, bright-hued design for each bag is a nod to the flavor’s name and purpose, designed by McClean Design, a brand creation and packaging design agency that specializes in beverage and other CPG/FMCG categories who earlier this year completed Shaka Tea’s RTD rebrand.
Shaka Tea, founded by Bella Hughes and Harrison Rice is the first line of bottled, ready-to-drink, zero calorie, 0 g sugar, Hawaii-grown, iced teas on the market brewed from mamaki, an herbal tea only found and grown one place in the world: the Hawaiian archipelago. Shaka Tea is found in over 1,500 accounts across the US, including major retailers including Walmart, Safeway/Albertsons, Whole Foods Market, Lassen’s, Nugget Market, PCC and National Co+op Grocers.
About Shaka Tea
Shaka Tea is the first line of Hawaii-grown, herbal iced teas on the market brewed from mamaki, which is only found and grown one place in the world, the Hawaiian archipelago. With a commitment to the health of our consumers and health of the ‘aina (land), Shaka Tea is a naturally caffeine-free, zero calorie, 0 g sugar product, supporting sustainable farming and regenerative agriculture, found in major retailers across Hawaii, the continental US and online.
To learn more, please visit www.shakatea.com or follow us on Instagram @drinkshakatea.
About Nanea Lum
Native Hawaiian painter Nanea Lum lives and works on the island of ‘Oahu. Her imagery comes from the experience of life transforming on the Hawaiian Islands. Nanea’s interests are in drawing and painting, while she develops methods that are deeply connected to her love for the land and waters of her environment. Nanea is currently a graduate student of the Fine Arts program at the University of Hawaii Manoa where she continues to express aloha ‘aina (love of the land) methodologies through art making.
