Tea Sippers

Just some more figures about tea consumption today from our source listed below.

Looks like the wholesale tea business would be a good one to be in with sales tripling to $6,500,000,000 from 1990 to 2006 in the U.S. Yep, that’s billions. And specialty teas sales increased over 250% in the same time period. These are the teas that can start at five dollars for a quarter pound and go up to thousands. Sales are expected to keep increasing at an annual rate of 10% for the next few years. I wonder if that will hold true if a bonafide recession hits?

To show the comeback tea is making in the U.S., our source today used the Park Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C. as an example. They have built a tea cellar that contains over fifty rare varieties of tea and includes Pu-erh. One such Pu-erh from 1985 will cost you $300 for one teapot’s worth at the Park Hyatt Hotel. Ummm-mm!

Source: Gourmet Tea Guide