Rise Your Mug to Freedom

As we celebrate two and a half centuries of American independence, please join me in raising your tea mug in a salute to freedom.

Tea, after all, played a prominent role in American history.  It was at the center of one of the most infamous events leading up to Independence Day – the Boston Tea Party.

 

Tea and the Road to Independence

By the early 1770s, tea had become the most popular beverage in the American colonies. It wasn't a luxury— it was part of daily life.  So much so, that colonists were consuming over 1 million pounds of loose-leaf tea a year.  

After the British Parliament passed the Tea Act in 1773, a group of colonists boarded three ships in Boston Harbor and dumped 342 chests of tea into the water. Three years later, on July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did Americans Stop Drinking Tea?

While Americans didn't completely give up tea after the Revolution, it became far less popular. To the point where consuming tea was considered unpatriotic. American's eager to cut ties with all things British, including trade, began relying on the next best thing to get their caffeine fix - Coffee.

Although Tea wasn't the cause of the American Revolution— it became one of its most enduring symbols. As a result, coffee grew in popularity throughout the 1800’s, with “specialty coffee” making its appearance in the 1900’s. Tea didn’t disappear completely though. It's reinvented itself as iced tea, a prohibition era alternative to alcohol, and with the mass market production of tea bags.

 

Tea Today

Tea’s not just having a moment, it’s a movement. A tea resurgence began around the turn of the 21st century, with annual tea consumption on the rise ever since. American’s modern day tea drinking culture looks a bit different than our pre-revolutionary habits. Today, we Americans enjoy tea in countless ways— from traditional hot cups to refreshing iced tea, as well as tea latte’s, bubble teas, and tea-based cocktails.

Raise a Mug

This Independence Day, while you're celebrating with family and friends, take a moment to appreciate the remarkable journey tea has taken through history. Whether you’re sipping hot tea from your favorite mug, or your glass is filled with cold, refreshing iced tea; here's to celebrating freedom, tradition, and creating new memories.

Happy Independence Day! And Happy STEAPing,

Samantha