Leeyen Rogers, age 25, decided to stop drinking soda for health reasons. Instead, she drinks tea to stay hydrated during her busy workweeks as VP of marketing at JotForm in San Francisco.
She prefers to drink iced tea during the day and hot tea at night for relaxation. For Leeyen, tea is a versatile, guilt-free beverage that doesn’t have the potential sugar crash associated with soda. “I don’t love drinking plain water, so tea is a healthy and delicious alternative,” she says.
Leeyen’s beverage choice is representative of a larger trend influencing American consumer habits. The overall demand for tea has increased due to its perceived health benefits, convenience, and availability. In the United States, volumes in the ready-to-drink tea category grew by 3.7 percent, outperforming carbonated soft drinks, which declined 1 percent.