It’s iced tea in a literal sense, a drink that represents The Coca-Cola Co.’s initial foray into at-home crafted beverages.
Honest Tea is the first Coke-owned brand to develop a line of K-Cups for use in Keurig’s hot brewing unit. Intended to be brewed over ice and served cold, the launch of Honest Tea’s new single-serve “pods” comes months before the expected debut of Keurig’s cold beverage system, one that will enable consumers to prepare a variety of cold drinks, including carbonated ones, at home.
The Keurig Cold system is the basis for Coke’s acquisition of a 10 percent stake in Keurig in February (raised to 16 percent in May), in which the two companies agreed to a 10-year deal to create a new line of K-Cup products based on Coke’s global brand portfolio.
“As we began to collaborate with The Coca‑Cola Company on the development of their brands for our Keurig Cold system, the opportunity to incorporate certain Coca-Cola brands, like Honest Tea, into our Brew Over Ice selections for our Keurig hot brewing system became an exciting possibility,” Mark Wood, Senior Vice President, Global Hot Systems at Keurig, said in a statement. “Whether hot or cold, adding great brands like Honest Tea to the Keurig system is a part of our ongoing mission to provide consumers with unparalleled choice and variety.”
Honest’s K-Cup line will initially come in two varieties — unsweetened Just Green and Just Black iced teas – and join Keurig’s “Brew Over Ice” collection, which are “specially crafted” for use with Keurig’s hot brewing unit. The products will be available for sale on Keurig.com beginning tomorrow.