Quite often, we get people asking us about Teavana: “What ever happened to it? Where’d they go?” In 2012, Starbucks bought Teavana and tried turning it into a tea bar. Back when people actually visited the mall, you might have seen one of their stores or even purchased tea from them. Honestly, they did a great job of bringing tea to the masses; unfortunately, six years later, after foot traffic collapsed, they closed their doors. Fortunately, Fusion Teas carries a wide variety of teas that are great Teavana alternatives. Some say, even better, especially when it comes to price.
Once Teavana closed up shop, Starbucks continued to sell some tea under the same product line name, none of which is loose-leaf. The product line was also extremely reduced leaving many customers left holding their empty tea bags wondering if they would ever be able to find their favorite tea anywhere else. For this reason, we have compiled a list of real loose-leaf tea alternatives that are comparable or better than Teavana’s signature blends.
Rajah’s Reserve Chai Oolong Tea
If you loved Teavana’s Maharaja Chai Oolong, you’ll love our very own spiced oolong blend. With cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cocoa nibs, chicory, black peppercorns and cloves, this regal blend of chai spices and oolong gives the old blend a run for its money.
Monkey Picked Oolong Tea
Teavana’s Monkey Picked Oolong was known for its creamy, buttery profile and a slight nutty flavor. It was also known for being quite pricey. To be honest, Monkey Picked Oolong is a premium tea that carries a more premium price, but at $25 for 2oz, that’s a lot. Our Monkey Picked Oolong is buttery smooth with a nuttiness that’s rounded off by a slight stonefruit flavor. We think you’ll find the price more compatible.
Chai Spice Yerba Mate
Another chai Teavana favorite was their Samurai Chai Mate whose ingredients matched closely with our Chai Spice Yerba Mate. With energy-boosting yerba mate, cardamom, cinnamon, peppercorn, ginger, star anise, and cloves, this high octane blend makes for a warm energetic infusion.
Citrus Mint Green Tea
Starbucks still sells their popular Jade Citrus Mint in sachets under the Teavana name. Our Citrus Mint Green Tea is the loose-leaf version of that same idea: a crisp sencha base with lemongrass, lemon verbena, and orange, finished with a light spearmint that leans citrus-forward rather than overtly minty.
Peach Infusion Hibiscus Fruit Tea
Peach Tranquility is another Teavana tea still around at Starbucks, still in a sachet, not loose-leaf. Our Peach Infusion Hibiscus loose-leaf is its equivalent in nature but superior in flavor. A juicy peach and berry medley with tart hibiscus and apple rounding out the finish — it’s what hibiscus teas were made for. It’s just as good iced after dinner as it is first thing in the morning.
If you’ve been holding onto an empty Teavana tin out of nostalgia, it might be time to retire it. And while Teavana did a great job of sharing the world of tea with the American market, Starbucks eventually went back to its roots. The good news is that Fusion Teas continued its focus on premium loose-leaf teas sharing blends that reflect the variety and versatility of a good infusion. The love of loose-leaf didn’t go anywhere when Teavana did — if anything, the love of tea continues to grow and we are happy to share that love with our customers.
Ready to find your new favorite? Browse our full loose leaf collection or start with a sampler if you want to try a few matches before committing to a full bag.