Jiant is brewing something big. The “better-for-you alcohol company” launched a new line of hard teas earlier this summer. The company, which already crafts its popular hard kombuchas with green tea, saw a hard tea offering as the logical next step.

“Creating a hard tea was a natural extension of the brand and something we’ve had in the back of our minds ever since we started Jiant,” explained Aaron Telch, Jiant co-founder. “We’ve found inspiration and creativity using tea in a similar way a craft beer brewer might use hops: to create layers of flavor and aromatics.”

Jiant Hard Teas comes in three creative flavor combinations including Raspberry and Mint brewed with Keemun Black Tea, Blood Orange and Grapefruit brewed with Pu’er Tea, and Mango and Lime brewed with Oolong Tea. According to the company, “each hard tea is brewed with a carefully selected tea to bring out flavor and aroma without the use of natural flavors, extracts, concentrates, or added sugar.” Jiant’s teas feature real tea, real fruit and champagne yeast. All flavors contain only 1-2 grams of sugar, 100 calories and an ABV of 5%.

Jiant was founded by Larry Haertel Jr. and Aaron Telch in 2019. The duo believes tea and botanicals are “the perfect canvas for a new kind of adult beverage, one that doesn’t rely on conventional ingredients and has a nutritional profile more aligned with what today’s consumer wants.”

Jiant has the unique opportunity to grow its new line of hard teas in a major way. In August the company secured $2.3 million in a round of seed funding led by Natureza Growth Partners. The funds will be used to expand distribution, invest more aggressively in marketing, develop new products and to hire additional team members.

Jiant may be making a huge name for itself, but it’s not the only brand on the market making a hard tea. Owl’s Brew Boozy Tea, for instance, is crafted with real tea and botanicals. The female founded brand features beverages made from several different kinds of tea. Owl’s Brew flavors include Jasmine, Blueberry and Lemon, Darjeeling Tea & Hibiscus Flower, English Breakfast Tea, Lemon & Lime, White Tea, Raspberry & Watermelon and Matcha, Pineapple & Chamomile. All flavors contain between 110-120 calories per serving as well as antioxidant vitamin C.

Austin-based Luck Springs also produces a line of hard sparkling teas brewed with real black tea and real fruit juice. The brand’s flavors include Half & Half (half tea and half lemonade), Raspberry Tea, and Peach Tea. Luck Springs crafts a hard, sparkling Lemonade as well. All of the brand’s tea varieties contain an ABV of 4% and, like Jiant, they boast only 100 calories per serving.

Lagunitas also recently announced Disorderly TeaHouse, brewed with Guayusa Tea from Ecuador. The brewery will be launching its spiked and sparkling tea in two flavors including Yuzu Lemon and Mixed-Up Berries (featuring raspberries and blackberries), both of which contain 5% ABV. The hard tea will not be available in stores until 2022, but it can be sampled at Lagunitas’ brewpub in Petaluma, California.

Of course Jiant also has the alcohol beverage giants to contend with. Anheuser-Busch’s Bud Light Seltzer, Boston Beer’s Truly and Mark Anthony’s White Claw all produce hard tea offerings in multiple flavors.

Even in the face of steep competition, Jiant appears to be living up to its larger-than-life name. Thanks to its new line of hard teas and a hefty seed investment, we expect big things from the company.

Shirani Jayasuriya
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