IN THE BEGINNING...
The idea for Sweet Leaf Tea was born in 1997 while Clayton was living on a sailboat in the Florida Keys. He wanted to make a ready-to-drink bottled tea that tasted as good as the home-made iced-tea that his grandmother "Mimi" used to make.
Sweet Leaf Tea's first delivery van was purchased in 1998 with 200,000+ miles on it and it seemed to be in the garage more than on the road. Somehow, they still managed to get tea from the brewery onto store shelves.
Granny's recipe called for premium tea leaves and pure cane surgar. Following her instructions, the first batches of Sweet Leaf Tea were brewed in Beaumont, Texas using pillow cases as tea bags and crawfish pots as brew tanks.
A year after Clayton offcially started Sweet Leaf Tea, he was joined by his best friend since childhood, David. They used garden hoses to fill the bottles, used a hand drill to put on the caps and applied the labels by hand.
Their first Austin City Limits was a huge success in 2002. They sold nearly 10,000 bottles of tea and had blisters on their hands after the 3-day event.
In 2003, Sweet Leaf Tea moved its headquarters to Austin, Texas, where Clayton and David went college.
Clayton and David in the early days
SWEET LEAF TEA VALUES:
WE BELIEVE:
In laughter, high-fives and good music
The greatest rewards come to those who embrace risk and follow their vision with passion
We create our own opportunities
We make products that our family and friends will enjoy
The journey is as important as the destination
Find out almost all there is to know about Sweet Leaf Teas here.
