‘Tea’s the Season’ for Premium Loose Leaf Teas and Gifts from Teavana

Created by Epicurean Experts at Teavana and Celebrating the Growing Popularity of Tea –Trendsetters Share Their Top Picks for Teavana® Tea Gifts this Holiday Season

New Teavana® Ecommerce Site Makes Finding a Unique Gift Educational, Fun and Easy

SEATTLE  As millions of Americans begin their holiday shopping, Teavana (NASDAQ:SBUX) unveils its 2015 Holiday Collection – an array of more than 80 epicurean tea gifts. Teavana’s premium loose leaf teas are the perfect way to share a thoughtful gift, create a tea ritual that can last a lifetime, and bring the benefits of tea to friends and family.

“We know that the popularity of tea in America is expanding[1] making this holiday season the perfect time to share the gift of a premium tea experience from Teavana,” said Bernard Acoca, president, Teavana. “We believe a gift from Teavana is more than tea. It’s the opportunity to experience ritual, relaxation, wellness and decadent flavors that delight the senses.”

To introduce the new collection, Teavana enlisted the help of top tastemakers in lifestyle, fashion and food to curate a list of the Top Tea Gifts of 2015:

Share One of Oprah’s Favorite Things

Today, the editors of O, The Oprah Magazine announced the Teavana® Oprah Chai Steep Good Thoughts Set is one of Oprah’s Favorite Things. Co-created by Oprah Winfrey, the gift set features a ceramic tea-for-one stacking mug and teapot, and the distinctive spice of Teavana® Oprah Chai including a tin of both Oprah’s original Teavana® Oprah Chai blend and the Teavana® Oprah Chai Herbal blend. Socially-conscious gift givers will love that for each set purchased, $4 will be donated to support educational opportunities for young people.**

Make a Statement with the Most Stylish Afternoon Tea

As an avid tea drinker, style blogger Julia Dzafic of Lemon Stripes recommends[2] gifting tea sets that match a recipient’s style. Her picks for the season are the Multicolor ‘Viv’ Teapot Set and indulgent White Chocolate Peppermint Rooibos Tea to prepare holiday entertaining with beautiful seasonal tablescapes.

“I love the bright mix and match colors of this tea set. Its modern design is perfect for friends and family that love bold and beautiful statement pieces,” said Dzafic. “I’m excited to host a holiday afternoon tea for my girlfriends with the Multicolor Viv Teapot set since it brings a beautiful pop of color to my otherwise neutral kitchen. Paired with Teavana’s White Chocolate Peppermint blend, I can serve the flavors of the season without the guilt.”

Ignite Your Senses

Naomi Robinson of Baker’s Royale recommends[3] giving a gift of tea that ignites the senses with the smells and tastes of the season. The Cheer + Revelry Sampler Collection features indulgent teas, including White Chocolate Peppermint Rooibos Tea, CocoCaramel Sea Salt Herbal Tea, Chocolate Chai Black Tea and Gingerbread Black Tea.

“The holidays are all about aromas and flavors. Gingerbread is a must this time of year and a classic seasonal choice for baking – something my family will be enjoying all winter,” Robinson said. “Along with the Gingerbread Black Tea, Teavana’s Cheer + Revelry Sampler Collection includes three delicious flavors to keep the holidays festive and cheerful.”

For the perfect gift, pair any one of Teavana’s sampler collections with an infuser mug. Robinson recommends the Gold Dot Infuser Mug for festive flair.

Become a Tea Artisan

Teavana Tea Director Dan Karches says the Artisanal Brewing Collection Kit makes the ultimate hostess gift. The collection includes everything a host needs to brew the perfect cup of tea plus a selection of Teavana’s most popular teas including Youthberry® with Wild Orange Blossom, Maharaja™ Chai with Samurai Chai Mate®, Peach Tranquility® and Jade Citrus Mint.

Create a personalized gift that will delight recipients with something tailored just for them.

Pick a Tea and Tin: Uncover a new favorite flavor from the Teavana® Tea Wall or design a custom blend by starting with an herbal blend – such as citrus, berry, or floral.  Karches recommends trying the three recommended blending options listed on the back of each tea tin. Once the blend is complete, purchase atea tin of your choice to go with it.

Select a Steeper: Choose from a variety of effortless loose-leaf tea brewing methods from a stainless steelinfuser with charm to the Teavana Perfectea® Maker, a quick and easy way to steep loose leaf tea. The patented tea dispenser mechanism strains tea simply into a cup, keeping the leaves in the tea maker.

Add the Finishing Touches: Don’t forget to include Perfectea Belgium Rock Sugar, a Perfectea Spoon, cocktail napkins and a card. Then, thanks to Teavana’s complimentary holiday gift packaging, one can leave the store with a ready-to give gift – perfect for any last-minute holiday shopping.

For gift givers who prefer to let Karches and his tea experts pick a gift for them, Teavana® Tea Subscriptions (available in monthly and in three-month subscriptions on Teavana.com) are available, featuring an assortment of teas hand-picked by Teavana, including one pure tea and two other teas to complement it.

Show Off Your Creativi-tea on Teavana.com (or in store) and Save

Tea-savvy customers can create gift sets on Teavana.com and in store and receive special savings.

Share Teavana’s festive array of holiday dessert teas – returning seasonal favorite White Chocolate Peppermint Rooibos Tea, CocoCaramel Sea Salt Herbal Tea, Chocolate Chai Black Tea and Gingerbread Black Tea – all in the Cheer + Revelry Collection Sampler and pick one of three Holiday Infuser Mugs for $50 – now through December 23.

Pick the White Chocolate Peppermint Rooibos pre-filled Tea Tin or the Gingerbread Black Tea pre-filled Tea Tin, and then add one of ten Contour Tumblers to save $10 – now through November 22.

The holiday collection, as well as Teavana’s collection of more than 100 epicurean teas, are now available inTeavana’s specialty stores and at teavana.com.

About Teavana

Teavana offers high quality teas and a unique in-store experience to new tea drinkers and tea connoisseurs alike. Acquired by Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) in 2012, Teavana immerses customers in a full tea experience where they can learn more about the ritual and enjoyment of tea with products available in more than 350 Teavana specialty store locations and Teavana tea bars, as well as in Starbucks® stores across the U.S. and Canada.  Teavana offers premium tea accessories and an array of loose leaf teas, including Teavana® Oprah Chai, created in partnership with Ms. Oprah Winfrey.

[1] The total wholesale value of tea sold in the USA grew from less than $2 billion in 1990 to more than $10 billion today. Tea Association of the USA http://www.teausa.com/14654/state-of-the-industry

[2] 100 percent of all proceeds made to the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation from Teavana® Oprah Chai goes to the Foundation, which in turn provides further funding to Girls Inc., National CARES Mentoring Movement, Pathways to College and U.S. Dream Academy. Find more information about Teavana® Oprah Chai charities here.

[3] Starbucks compensated Lemon Stripes and Baker’s Royale to share their gift ideas.