Sokenbicha to Debut New Aloe Flavor in March

Sokenbicha, a Japanese-blended RTD tea brand managed by Coca-Cola’s Venturing and Emerging Brands (VEB) unit, has introduced a new aloe flavor. The new flavor is called Replenish and is a jasmine tea blend made with aloe, organic green tea, jasmine flower, rose hips, ginseng and ginger, and is flavored with mint and pear.

With Sokenbicha’s foray into the space, VEB now has an interest in two brands with an aloe-based drink and is closely linked to another. VEB owns a 25 percent stake in Brain-Twist, a New York-based beverage innovation house that plans to launch Halo, a new aloe juice drink blended with on-trend features like coconut water and energy, in the spring. VEB also works closely with brand incubator L.A. Libations, which released its own aloe product, Aloe Gloe, in September. In the past, L.A. Libations has placed other VEB products, including ZICO and Illy Issimo, into a number of large retailers and is using its channel expertise to expand distribution of Aloe Gloe into places like Target, Costco, and Safeway.

Coke-owned Honest Tea manages sales for Sokenbicha as well as other VEB brands, including Cascal and Illy Issimo, in the natural foods channel.

Here is Sokenbicha’s press release announcing the new aloe flavor:

Japan’s No. 1 Blended Tea Brand to Debut New Flavor in U.S.

ATLANTA, March 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Just in time for spring, Sokenbicha™ is offering people across the U.S. the opportunity to “replenish” themselves from the inside out. The leading Japanese blended tea brand – which launched in the U.S. in 2010 – will debut a new flavor with aloe this March called Replenish.

Replenish is jasmine tea blend featuring organic green tea and jasmine flower, rose hips, ginseng and ginger, flavored with mint and pear. With this new addition, Sokenbicha will now offer six authentically brewed, unsweetened, zero calorie teas that combine the refreshment of water with the flavor and goodness of natural botanicals.

“According to traditional Japanese beliefs, aloe offers balance from the inside, out,” said Shannon Watkins, Sokenbicha director. “U.S. consumers continue to enjoy the use of natural botanicals like aloe, ginseng and ginger in their food and beverage choices and the debut of Replenish helps us to deliver on that in an innovative way.”

Over the past 16 years, Sokenbicha has grown to be one of the leading Japanese tea brands and is rapidly expanding throughout the U.S. and Asia. Sokenbicha’s brand heritage is inspired by the teachings of Kampo, a traditional Japanese herbal approach to health and wellness dating back more than 1,500 years. The product is endorsed and formulated in partnership with Nihondo, Japan’s largest Kampo boutique.

Sokenbicha will now be available in six flavors:

  • NEW Replenish, a jasmine tea with flavors of mint
  • Revive, a crisp oolong tea blend with flavors of raspberry
  • Defend, a mild oolong tea blend with flavors of tea essence
  • Purify, an aromatic green tea blend with flavors of citrus
  • Shape, a bold barley tea blend with flavors of peach flower
  • Skin, a full-bodied barley tea blend with flavors of cinnamon

Replenish, along with the other Sokenbicha flavors, is packaged in 15.2 fluid ounce bottles made from PET plastic and is 100 percent recyclable.

Sokenbicha has zero grams of sugar and zero calories and includes no added preservatives or artificial flavors. For more information, visit Sokenbicha.com.

About Sokenbicha

Sokenbicha is an unsweetened Japanese tea brand that debuted in the U.S. in October 2010. The six flavors of Sokenbicha™ combine the refreshment of water with the flavor and goodness of authentically brewed tea and natural botanicals. Sokenbicha contains no added preservatives and zero calories. Sokenbicha tea blends are believed to balance the body from the inside out. For more information, visit www.sokenbicha.com. You can also connect with the brand via www.facebook.com/sokenbicha and Twitter.com/SokenbichaTea.