Tea is the second most popular drink in the world after water, and millions of Americans reach for a cup every single day. A mix of century-old brands and smaller specialty companies make most of the tea sold across the United States today.
Some of these brands started in a home kitchen or a small basement decades ago. Others grew out of health movements, herbal medicine traditions, or even a chance meeting on an airplane.
In this article, we’ll discuss the top 10 tea brands in the United States, based on their history, ownership, and the kind of tea they are known for.
| Rank | Brand | Founded | Owner / Founders | US Headquarters | Core Focus |
| 1 | Lipton | 1890 | Founded by Thomas Lipton; owned by Lipton Teas and Infusions | Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey | Black Tea & Iced Tea |
| 2 | Bigelow Tea | 1945 | Founded by Ruth Campbell Bigelow; privately held, family-owned, led by CEO Cindi Bigelow | Fairfield, Connecticut | Flavored & Herbal Tea |
| 3 | Celestial Seasonings | 1969 | Founded by Mo Siegel & friends; owned by Hain Celestial | Boulder, Colorado | Herbal & Wellness Tea |
| 4 | Tazo | 1994 | Founded by Steven Smith; owned by Lipton Teas and Infusions | Kent, Washington | Specialty Blended Tea |
| 5 | Harney & Sons | 1983 | Founded by John Harney; privately held, family-owned | Millerton, New York | Loose-Leaf & Gourmet Tea |
| 6 | Yogi Tea | 1984 | Founded by Yogi Bhajan; owned by East West Tea Company, led by CEO Giancarlo Marcaccini | Eugene, Oregon | Ayurvedic & Herbal Tea |
| 7 | The Republic of Tea | 1992 | Founded by Mel & Patricia Ziegler & Bill Rosenzweig; privately held, owned by the Rubin family | Larkspur, California | Premium Loose-Leaf Tea |
| 8 | Numi Organic Tea | 1999 | Founded by Ahmed Rahim & Reem Hassani; privately held | Oakland, California | Organic & Fair Trade Tea |
| 9 | Traditional Medicinals | 1974 | Founded by Drake Sadler & Rosemary Gladstar; privately held, led by CEO Joe Stanziano | Rohnert Park, California | Herbal Wellness Tea |
| 10 | Stash Tea | 1972 | Founded by Steve Lee, Dave Leger & Steven Smith; owned by Yamamotoyama | Tigard, Oregon | Specialty & Herbal Tea |
1. Lipton – The World’s Best-Selling Tea Brand
- Founded: 1890
- Owner: Founded by Thomas Lipton; owned by Lipton Teas and Infusions
- Headquarters (US): Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
Lipton began in 1890 when Scottish grocer Thomas Lipton bought tea gardens in Ceylon, now known as Sri Lanka, to sell tea directly to everyday shoppers. At the time, tea was still seen as an expensive luxury, and Lipton wanted to make it affordable for regular families. He set up a packing plant in Hoboken, New Jersey, which helped bring his tea to American shelves at a lower cost.
The brand grew into the world’s largest tea company, later becoming closely tied to consumer goods giant Unilever for decades. In 2022, Unilever sold most of its tea business, including Lipton, to private equity firm CVC Capital Partners. The new parent company, Lipton Teas and Infusions, now runs the brand under CEO Marc Busain.
What Lipton does: Sells black tea, iced tea mixes, and tea bags for everyday drinking.
Services: Black tea bags, iced tea mixes, green tea, and ready-to-drink bottled tea.
2. Bigelow Tea – A Family Recipe From a New York Kitchen
- Founded: 1945
- Owner: Founded by Ruth Campbell Bigelow; privately held, family-owned, led by CEO Cindi Bigelow
- Headquarters: Fairfield, Connecticut
Bigelow Tea started in 1945 when interior designer Ruth Campbell Bigelow created a specialty tea blend in her own Manhattan kitchen. Her recipe combined black tea with orange rind and sweet spices, which she called “Constant Comment.” The tea became popular quickly, encouraging Ruth to turn her hobby into a full business.
The company has stayed in the Bigelow family for three generations, an unusual feat for a brand this well known. Ruth’s granddaughter, Cindi Bigelow, now leads the company as president and CEO. Bigelow has grown to offer more than 120 different tea flavors sold in grocery stores nationwide.
What Bigelow Tea does: Blends and sells flavored black, green, and herbal teas.
Services: Black tea, herbal tea, green tea, and specialty flavored tea blends.
3. Celestial Seasonings – A Colorado Brand Born From the Herbal Movement
- Founded: 1969
- Owner: Founded by Mo Siegel & friends; owned by Hain Celestial
- Headquarters: Boulder, Colorado
Celestial Seasonings started in 1969 when a group of friends in Boulder, Colorado began picking wild herbs and blending them into homemade herbal teas. Founder Mo Siegel and his friends sold their early teas out of the back of a van, driving around to health food stores nearby. That simple, back-to-nature approach became the heart of the brand’s identity.
The company grew quickly as interest in herbal and natural products spread across the country in the 1970s and 80s. Celestial Seasonings eventually became part of Hain Celestial, a larger natural foods company. The brand remains especially known for its detailed, illustrated tea box artwork found on store shelves today.
What Celestial Seasonings does: Makes herbal and wellness-focused teas without caffeine.
Services: Herbal tea, green tea, wellness tea blends, and seasonal tea flavors.
4. Tazo – A Tea Brand With Three Different Owners
- Founded: 1994
- Owner: Founded by Steven Smith; owned by Lipton Teas and Infusions
- Headquarters: Kent, Washington
Tazo was started in 1994 by Steven Smith, a longtime Portland tea entrepreneur who had already helped build another tea company years earlier. Smith gave his new brand a mysterious, exotic feel, naming teas things like “Awake” and “Zen” and writing playful, unusual copy on the packaging. That quirky branding helped Tazo stand out on store shelves right from the start.
Starbucks bought Tazo in 1999 for just over $8 million, using it as the tea served in its coffee shops for years. In 2017, Starbucks sold Tazo to Unilever for a much larger $384 million. The brand now belongs to Lipton Teas and Infusions, following that company’s split from Unilever in 2022.
What Tazo does: Makes specialty blended teas sold in bags, K-Cups, and bottled drinks.
Services: Black tea, green tea, herbal tea blends, and bottled iced tea.
5. Harney & Sons – A Basement Business Turned Family Tea Empire
- Founded: 1983
- Owner: Founded by John Harney; privately held, family-owned
- Headquarters: Millerton, New York
Harney & Sons began in 1983 when John Harney, who ran a small Connecticut inn, decided to start blending his own tea after learning the craft from a mentor. He started the business out of his own basement, packing tea into tins by hand. Guests at his inn kept coming back for the tea, encouraging Harney to grow the small side business further.
The company expanded from just six original teas into more than 300 varieties over the following decades. After John Harney passed away in 2014, his sons Michael and Paul Harney took over running the family business. Harney & Sons teas are now served at hotels, cafes, and even aboard the International Space Station.
What Harney & Sons does: Blends and sells high-quality loose-leaf and bagged teas.
Services: Loose-leaf tea, sachet tea bags, gourmet gift sets, and specialty tea blends.
6. Yogi Tea – A Spiritual Teacher’s Herbal Tea Recipe
- Founded: 1984
- Owner: Founded by Yogi Bhajan; owned by East West Tea Company, led by CEO Giancarlo Marcaccini
- Headquarters: Eugene, Oregon
Yogi Tea traces back to 1984, built on a traditional Ayurvedic spice tea recipe brought to America by spiritual teacher Yogi Bhajan. He had taught the recipe to his students for years before the tea eventually became its own commercial product. The blend combined warming spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger, inspired by ancient Indian wellness traditions.
The company grew steadily as more Americans became interested in yoga, wellness, and natural health products. Yogi Tea is now run by the East West Tea Company, with Giancarlo Marcaccini serving as CEO. The brand remains especially known for its spiced chai blends and small inspirational quotes printed on every tea bag tag.
What Yogi Tea does: Makes Ayurvedic-inspired herbal and wellness teas.
Services: Herbal tea, chai tea blends, wellness tea, and detox tea varieties.
7. The Republic of Tea – A Whimsical Brand From Banana Republic’s Founders
- Founded: 1992
- Owner: Founded by Mel & Patricia Ziegler & Bill Rosenzweig; privately held, owned by the Rubin family
- Headquarters: Larkspur, California
The Republic of Tea was started in 1992 by Mel and Patricia Ziegler, who had earlier founded the clothing brand Banana Republic before selling it to Gap. Along with partner Bill Rosenzweig, they built a playful brand identity, calling their customers “citizens” and their employees “ministers.” That unusual, storytelling approach to marketing made the tea company memorable from day one.
The Zieglers sold the company just 18 months later to entrepreneur Ron Rubin, who was inspired after reading their book about the experience. Rubin grew The Republic of Tea into a nationally recognized brand offering more than 300 varieties. His son, Todd Rubin, now serves as president, while Ron remains involved as executive chairman.
What The Republic of Tea does: Sells premium loose-leaf and bagged teas in distinctive tins.
Services: Loose-leaf tea, tea bags, herbal tea, and specialty tea gift sets.
8. Numi Organic Tea – A Sibling-Founded Brand Rooted in Childhood Memories
- Founded: 1999
- Owner: Founded by Ahmed Rahim & Reem Hassani; privately held
- Headquarters: Oakland, California
Numi Organic Tea was started in 1999 by siblings Ahmed Rahim and Reem Hassani, who grew up drinking a citrusy dried lime tea called “numi” as children in Iraq. They wanted to bring that same authentic, natural approach to tea into the American market. The company built its identity around organic ingredients and fair trade sourcing from the very beginning.
Numi expanded beyond traditional tea bags into herbal “teasans,” a term the company created for its caffeine-free herbal blends. The business has remained privately owned by the founding siblings rather than being sold to a larger corporation. Numi has also earned recognition as a certified climate-neutral company committed to reducing its environmental impact.
What Numi Organic Tea does: Makes organic, fair trade certified teas and herbal blends.
Services: Organic tea bags, loose-leaf tea, herbal teasans, and iced tea products.
9. Traditional Medicinals – A Wellness Tea Brand Rooted in Herbalism
- Founded: 1974
- Owner: Founded by Drake Sadler & Rosemary Gladstar; privately held, led by CEO Joe Stanziano
- Headquarters: Rohnert Park, California
Traditional Medicinals began in 1974 when community activist Drake Sadler partnered with herbalist Rosemary Gladstar to revive traditional herbal medicine in North America. The two started out of a small herb shop along Northern California’s Russian River. Their goal was to help everyday people access natural remedies that had been passed down for generations.
The company grew into one of the best-known wellness tea brands in American grocery stores, with popular products like Throat Coat and Smooth Move. Drake Sadler remained deeply involved in the company for fifty years before Joe Stanziano became CEO in 2024. Traditional Medicinals continues to focus on ethically sourced herbs from farming communities around the world.
What Traditional Medicinals does: Makes herbal wellness teas aimed at specific health needs.
Services: Herbal tea, digestive tea, relaxation tea, and seasonal wellness tea blends.
10. Stash Tea – A Portland Startup With $7,000 and Big Ambitions
- Founded: 1972
- Owner: Founded by Steve Lee, Dave Leger & Steven Smith; owned by Yamamotoyama
- Headquarters: Tigard, Oregon
Stash Tea was started in 1972 by three friends, Steve Lee, Dave Leger, and Steven Smith, who pooled together just $7,000 to launch their business from a Victorian house basement in Portland, Oregon. The trio noticed college students loved their tea blends, leading them to start a mail-order business run out of a barn. That grassroots beginning helped Stash grow into one of the largest specialty tea brands sold to restaurants and cafes nationwide.
Co-founder Steven Smith later left to start two other well-known tea brands, Tazo and Steven Smith Teamaker. Since 1993, Stash has been owned by Yamamotoyama, the American division of a long-established Japanese tea company. Stash remains a certified B Corporation, reflecting its focus on social and environmental responsibility.
What Stash Tea does: Blends and sells specialty black, green, and herbal teas.
Services: Tea bags, loose-leaf tea, herbal tea blends, and food service tea supplies.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Which is the best-selling tea brand in the USA?
Lipton is the world’s best-selling tea brand, known especially for its black tea and iced tea products.
2. Which brands remain family-owned rather than owned by a large corporation?
Bigelow Tea, Harney & Sons, and Numi Organic Tea are all still owned by their founding families rather than large corporations.
3. Which two tea brands were both started by the same person?
Stash Tea and Tazo were both co-founded by Steven Smith, a longtime Portland, Oregon tea entrepreneur.
4. Which brand was created by the founders of Banana Republic?
The Republic of Tea was created by Mel and Patricia Ziegler, who had earlier founded the clothing brand Banana Republic.
5. Which brand focuses specifically on herbal wellness rather than everyday tea? Traditional Medicinals focuses specifically on herbal wellness teas designed for particular health needs.
6. Which brand’s recipe is based on Ayurvedic spice traditions?
Yogi Tea is based on a traditional Ayurvedic spice tea recipe brought to America by spiritual teacher Yogi Bhajan.
7. Are tea brands in the USA regulated?
Yes, packaged tea sold in the US must follow food safety and labeling rules set by the FDA.
8. Which brand is now owned by a Japanese tea company?
Stash Tea has been owned by Yamamotoyama, the American division of a Japanese tea retailer, since 1993.
9. Which brand changed owners from Starbucks to Unilever to a private equity firm?
Tazo was first owned by Starbucks, then sold to Unilever, and now belongs to Lipton Teas and Infusions under CVC Capital Partners.
10. Why do these ten brands matter to everyday people?
These brands make most of the tea Americans drink daily, whether for a quick morning cup or a natural remedy for common ailments.
Conclusion
America’s tea brands represent a combination of century-old imports and innovative domestic brands that vie for attention and dollar share in the fast-growing market. Bigelow, Celestial Seasonings, Harney & Sons, Yogi Tea, The Republic of Tea, Numi, Traditional Medicinals, and Stash Tea are all US-based brands that have made significant contributions to satisfying the demand for tea at home and abroad. Meanwhile, the likes of Lipton and Tazo saw their brands sold off to multinational conglomerates, where they continue to thrive.
Representatives of the tea industry, including the ten manufacturers mentioned above, play a vital role in the lives of millions of tea drinkers. Whether they take it as a means to refresh or a tool for relaxation, people are increasingly likely to turn to any of these brands abd other cofee brands and their vast selections of products and services.
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