China Mist® tea chooses the RealCup® brand of capsules to bring gourmet iced-tea flavor to single-serve brewing

Five premium loose-leaf iced teas tea blends to be available in the patented EcoCup™ capsules

MISSISSAUGA, ON, July 24, 2014 /CNW/ - The maker of one of North America's premiere brands of iced tea has chosen North America's premiere capsule solution to expand five of their popular tea blends into the single-serve capsule brewing format for home, office or restaurant brewing.

China Mist® Tea has joined the RealCup® portfolio to ensure a better, more authentic taste for five premium loose-leaf teas tea blends, which will be available in the recyclable EcoCup™ capsule beginning in late fall.  RealCup® brand is an independent single-serve beverage launched by Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee, which recently introduced a new recyclable capsule that's compatible with all K-cup® brewers and accepted in many curbside-recycling programs across the country.

China Mist® Tea will launch Blackberry Jasmine Green, Watermelon Black, Passionfruit Black, Strawberry Herbal and Mango Herbal iced tea blends in EcoCup™ capsule format.  The premium loose-leaf tea blends are brewed hot, served over ice and sweetened to individual taste for true restaurant-quality iced tea experience.  China Mist® capsules will soon be available in Canadian and U.S. retail via multiple distributors, and sold into U.S. offices and specialty channels by National Coffee Service & Vending.

"We are extremely pleased to be partnering with RealCup® and the Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee team to introduce our premium iced tea products in single-serve capsules," said Kermit Peterson, President of China Mist®.  "When we set out to find a partner for this format, we knew that taste would be the deal breaker.  At China Mist, we've spent over 30 years developing high quality, fantastic-tasting teas and the only way we would consider expanding into the single-serve cup format was if a capsule could produce the same quality taste of our blends.  We were amazed at the results when we sampled the EcoCup™ capsule whole leaf tea products and we are confident that our customers and consumers will love the taste and convenience of China Mist® blends from an EcoCup™ capsule."

"China Mist® is a premium brand that is a natural fit with our RealCup™ capsule technology, and particularly with our new EcoCup™ format," added Rusty James, Vice President of Foodservice Sales for Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee.  "China Mist® Tea joins a growing list of brands that have chosen an independent solution for their capsule format, including Marley® coffee and Tim Hortons® coffee and Numi® organic tea.  Our continuous innovation helps deliver the best solutions for producing the quality and taste of each individual brand."

ABOUT REALCUP® BRAND SINGLE-SERVE CAPSULES

RealCup® capsules are designed for use with K-Cup® compatible single-serve brewers. RealCup® single-serve capsules are developed and manufactured by Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee, one of the largest independent coffee and tea manufacturers in North America. The company combines state-of-the-art technology and new product innovation with more than 100 years of quality and service excellence to deliver an exceptional beverage experience in mainstream and specialty coffee, tea, and complementary beverages. A leader in the independent single-serve beverage industry, the RealCup® brand strives to bring sustainability, choice, value and quality to the consumer, both through their partner brands and through flexible licensing agreements.

CHINA MIST®, REALCUP® BRANDS, MOTHER PARKERS TEA & COFFEE INC., AND THE SECOND CUP LTD., HAVE NO AFFILIATION WITH KEURIG GREEN MOUNTAIN INC., KEURIG® OR K-CUP®. KEURIG® and K-CUP® are registered trademarks of KEURIG GREEN MOUNTAIN INC.

SOURCE: RealCup(TM)

Media Contact: Kerry Morgan, 905-273-2491; Sales Contact: Melanie Ingram, 905-273-2610