Originally published in the Summer + Fall 2018 issue.

Cusa Tea is transforming the way tea lovers sip their favorite beverage. Created as an instant organic tea option for anyone on-the-go, Cusa Tea dissolves in three seconds in both hot and cold water — and without all the added sugars and preservatives of most tea giants on the market today. This instant caffeine fix is the perfect all-natural companion for your next yoga class or outdoor adventure: portable, easy to use and purely delicious.

The idea started on Founder Jim Lamancusa’s backpacking trip in the Colorado Rockies. While his friends were sipping instant coffee mixes, Lamancusa wondered why high-quality, instant tea wasn’t yet on the market as soggy tea bags weighed down his backpack.

After nine months of testing different instant tea production methods, Cold Steep Technology won the gold medal. Cold Steep Technology extracts all the goodness from the leaves over an eight hour brewing period without destroying flavor with high heat or extreme cold technologies. The result is a premium instant tea that tastes like a fresh brewed cup. And because you can never over-steep this tea, you will get a perfect cup every time. Boulder based, Lamancusa launched Cusa Tea in May 2017 to share this bold creation.

Cusa Tea earned premium tea status from glowing scores by a tea sommelier (like a wine sommelier — but for tea tasting!) Lamancusa believes enjoying tea is a cultural experience, which is why he only uses the top 5 percent of tea leaves in the world from China.

“Cusa Tea has exceeded every expectation I had for it,” says Lamancusa. “‘Instant’ has a negative connotation, but once people taste this tea, they are converted for life.”

A core value for this company is sustainability: tea should be going back into the land, not landfill. Billions of pounds of tea are thrown in the trash every year even though tea bags are filled with compostable loose leaf product. Because Cusa Tea is instant and without the steeping bag, less waste is produced. While the package holding the instant tea isn’t compostable yet, Lamancusa is actively on the lookout for a waterproof (the tea is sensitive to humidity), compostable version.

“I believe in trying to give back as much as we can to the planet,” shares Lamancusa.

The combination of quality ingredients and preservation process makes this tea unique. There are currently five organic flavors available: English Breakfast, Oolong Tea, Mango Green Tea, Organic Green Tea and Lemon Black Tea. The ingredients are simple: pure tea and real fruit. Give it a try on your next mountaineering expedition or as a morning pick-me-up at https://cusatea.com.

Photos courtesy of Cusa Tea.