Tony & Iced Tea: A Love Story

By the looks of this blog, you might think we over here at Alstin eat, breathe and sleep all that is recruitment and retention. Every so often we’ll stray from the HR talk and bring you more on some of our favorite things, places and activities that also populate our daily lives.

My passion for Iced Tea (specifically Honest Tea) is well known throughout our office and even by some of our clients. I’m happy to blog about it, but in many ways it’s your typical boy-meets-tea, boy-falls-in-love-with-certain-flavors, boy-rearranges-his-life-around-consumption-of- tea type of love story.

First, a note about myself. I think by anyone’s measure, I am a man of few vices. I don’t smoke, never did drugs, I have a beer or glass of wine now and then, but I don’t really drink much. I also uphold nearly every stereotype of the forty-year-old suburban dad. I drive a minivan, I cater to my daughters’ every whim, I take my cholesterol medicine every day, my hair is disappearing at an alarming rate, I fight the losing battle to stay fit, etc.––you get the picture.

But underneath this mild-mannered exterior, I have a passion. A secret. An insatiable thirst that can’t be quenched.

Actually, I like to think that as far as crippling addictions go, this is a pretty good one to have. The benefits of tea are well documented–of course, if the medical community ever reverses its position and proclaims that tea is bad for you–well, by the time you read this I will already be dead.

So why Honest Tea? Well, when it came to ice tea, I had been around the block. I did the crazy sweet teas like Arizona, Lipton and Snapple, and they all felt like drinking powdered sugar. I even had a slew of one night stands with diet iced teas loaded with chemicals and horrible aftertastes.

Then I was in Whole Foods one day and I tried my first Honest Tea. It was Moroccan Mint (you never forget your first time) and it was delicious; just a little sweet and you could actually taste the tea and mint. Plus, most Honest Teas are only around 75 calories for the whole bottle, which is great when you suck down 3-5 a day.

So how far does my love of Honest Tea go? Here’s some evidence I may have a problem:

• I know which Wawas in the area carry Honest Tea and which don’t.
• I not only receive, but read every word of the Honest Tea newsletter. In fact, I just learned they are discontinuing one of my favorite flavors (Cinnamon Spice Decaf), so if you see me with a black armband on, you’ll know why.
• When vacationing in Siesta Key, Florida, I found a health food store back on the mainland of Sarasota that carried Honest Tea–so yes, I crossed a body of water to get Honest Tea.
• When Men’s Health and other fitness magazines proclaim Honest Tea the best tea in its surveys (which they often do), my chest swells with pride.
• I can tell you the different caffeine contents of the different Honest Tea flavors.
• I drive to Maryland for business at least once a month. On the way, I pass 4 rest stops . I always stop at the 3rd one because I’ve learned from trial and error they carry Honest Tea.

My top three flavors? Jasmine Energy, Morcoon Mint and Honey Green.

I could go on, but you’re probably getting a little weirded out already. Trust me, if you’re looking for a healthy, refreshing beverage, you can’t beat Honest Tea. They have a great variety at any Whole Foods and if you happen to be in Center City Philadelphia, DiBruno’s Brothers at 18th and Chestnut has a nice selection. Enjoy!