Let’s talk about taste. Yaupon tea is unexpectedly good and good for you. It all stems from the Yaupon Holly plant itself. It is truly a special plant – naturally caffeinated, an antioxidant-rich superfood…and to top it all off, it contains no tannin - so there is no bitter aftertaste common in other teas. Caffeinated, healthy, AND tastes great? Yes, please!
Our Yaupon teas are a true labor of love. Each leaf is hand-plucked, carefully dried or fire-roasted, graded and milled, and hand-packed in our facility in Edgewater, Florida. We don't outsource any aspect of production, because we won't compromise on quality. Yaupon Brothers has a policy of transparency, because we're proud of our craft and we want to share it with the world. Quality combines with nature's special touch in East Central Florida, where Yaupon trees are ancient and very special.
Yaupon Brothers believes in "second chance" employment, and our harvesters earn a living wage and work a flexible schedule. Our regenerative agriculture system gives farmers more control over their livelihoods, and protects them from market pressures. Our harvesters also work to control invasive plant species in the sensitive habitats we manage.
Our regenerative agriculture model focuses on Yaupon Holly as a sustainable native crop. Native plants require fewer inputs, like pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides. Fewer inputs means less pollution in our soil and in our waterways. Our wild-crop operations harvest Yaupon in sustainable amounts that preserves the health of the trees, and we destroy invasive plant species like the Brazilian Pepper in our wild-crop areas. All Yaupon Brothers growing and processing operations are certified organic.
Yaupon has been used as an important food, medicine, and ceremonial item by indigenous people for thousands of years. We want to tell that story in a way that pays respect to native people, and we believe firmly in the native food rematriation movement. Five percent of our online sales are donated directly to NATIFS, (North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems), and the Indigenous Food Lab founded by Chef Sean Sherman, aka the Sioux Chef. Yaupon Brothers is also distributed by Sweetgrass Trading, which is wholly-owned by the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, and through Eufaula Indian Community Distributors in the Mvskoke Nation of Oklahoma.
Yaupon Brothers American Tea Company was founded in 2015 by two brothers, Bryon and Kyle White and former mentor-turned-business-partner, Mark Steele.
To see the rest of the amazing folks behind your tea, click here to meet the team