Silver’s Teas Carry Flavor & Edge
Jonathan Silver took his expertise in the coffee business to create a novel tea brand that has a lot of personality and variety.
You’re walking the streets of a dusty old town, your throat is parched and in need of quenching … that is how homegrown Atlantan Jonathan Silver conceived the idea of Blue Durango Iced Tea.
He said, “The name just rolled off my tongue.” Together with Lakehouse Coffee and 30 years of experience, Silver owns and distributes these two distinct brands. He’s excited that, “Iced tea is a healthy alternative beverage that can be consumed with or without added sugar. It’s a great carrier of flavors. We create unique profiles that allow variety you don’t get in other drinks. Teas and other botanical elements are growth opportunities as a gourmet trend.”
Silver does indeed have creative varieties:
• Sweetened and Unsweetened – features a smidgin of lemon
• Charmed Voodoo – hibiscus tea with rose hip, lemon grass, and orange peel
• Long Arm Citrus – black tea with lemon, pomegranate, and prickly pear
• Luna Blossom – white tea with honey, white grape, and lavender
• The Sidewinder (yet to be released) – green tea with lime, ginger, and jalapeños
The South has always been allied with iced tea. Silver related, “The South is definitely known for its sweetened iced tea. We used that to our advantage by offering a really good ‘SWTND’ iced tea, but we also offer other really cool flavors that are lightly sweetened with organic cane sugar.”
Shaking the can is even recommended before opening. Silver believes there may be some pushback against carbonated beverages as consumers seek a smooth elixir that goes down quickly. In terms of being on trend, Silver feels that the tea market is wide open. “We’re fortunate that iced tea crosses many demographics. Teenagers reach for Blue Durango Iced Tea the same way a 60-year-old will grab a can and guzzle it down on a hot day!”
As a coffee roaster and blender, he was always interested in how different growing regions would come together for the perfect cup. He generally blends three different growing origins to achieve the best flavor profiles. He used the same principles to create his iced tea blends. Each can features three flavor components to get an evenly balanced original taste. Charmed Voodoo is currently the most popular flavor, but Jonathan’s favorite is Luna Blossom.
In terms of the name, the town of Blue Durango shares a concept with the 1938 Thornton Wilder play, “Our Town.” Silver wanted to be “a true story brand – an idea that screams originality that allows us to continue adding storyline and characters. A place that ingratiates our consumer base. The locale and design gives us a ‘western steampunk’ vibe. The ‘town’ is the backdrop for the ongoing development of the brand and beverage.”
Blue Durango Iced Tea is sold on grocery shelves from Hawaii to upstate New York. They are primarily on the shelves of independent grocers but also participated in a test run on the “New for You” table at Sprouts Markets nationally. Sixteen-ounce cans sell for $3 to $4 depending on the retailer. He explained, “We were very fortunate that within several months of launching we presented to KeHE – one of the largest natural foods distributors in the country. We won their award — garnering one of 44 Golden Tickets. This gave us national distribution. Blue Durango Iced Tea also has distribution through East Coast distributor Rainforest.”
They’re sold on Amazon, and through Odeko — a national company that recently purchased Atlanta Coffee Supply Group.
Looking forward, Silver hopes within five years, that his iced teas will be on the shelves of large national grocery chains. He also believes that creativity is enhanced by the ability to read — meaning, “The ability to read and comprehend is at an all-time low. We want to be an intellectual brand that promotes learning and cognitive thinking. We want to be able to give back to communities in the way of books and reading education.”
A graduate of Riverwood High School and Tulane University, Silver grew up at Ahavath Achim Synagogue where his great-grandfather was the shamus. He attended camp at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta and remains friends with fellow campers from 1972. He and his wife, Juli, are parents of two college-aged sons, Max and Leo.