Updated 1-24-11:
Attention Golden Star Tea Customers:
January 24, 2011
Due to inventory and distribution challenges we have suspended direct-to-consumer shipping indefinitely. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Cheers!

Update 5-1-2011:
We received a quick response from Edward Carden, CEO and Co-Inventor of Golden Star Tea Co. regarding the the current availability and possible misinformation. I asked if it was ok to share the letter and it was not a problem, so I wanted to help get the word out about this great product.

Here’s the response from Edward Carden:
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“Thanks for your note Victor, and thanks for the kind comments on your blog!

We’ll be happy to dispel the rumor you’re referring to. The assertion that
Golden Star White Jasmine Sparking Tea contains preservatives is inaccurate,
which your contact Rodney Powers at Epic Wines can confirm. Our product
contains only three ingredients as you can see from the NLEA disclosure on
the back label: White Tea, Raw Cane Sugar, and Water. We are required by law
to disclose the use of preservatives or any other additives, and since we
don’t use them they’re not listed. The product’s stability is due to its
manufacturing process which applies a very fine filtration, pasteurization
which simply involves the heating of the packaged product for a brief period
of time, and also in some part to the antioxidant properties of white tea.

There will be a delay in the supply of our product to retailers due to some
production issues that have compelled us to redesign our packaging. We will
be re-launching with a new look and feel later this year, but the beverage
in the bottle will be exactly the same. One upside will be that we will be
adding a 250mL single serving size to our product offering, which we think
will make our product even more convenient for everyday enjoyment. We also
expect the retail price of our larger 750mL bottle to drop a bit.

Thanks again for your support and for bringing the misinformation about
preservatives to our attention.”
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Update 4-30-2011: As of today I visited the Whole Foods Market on Arroyo Parkway and they do not carry Golden Star Tea because of preservatives that are added. I was not aware that it had preservatives added. We have reached out to the company for an official response. Stand by.

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This past weekend I had an opportunity to try a Golden Star Tea Co. product. It was part of the Locavore event at Whole Foods and Cisco Home in Pasadena on Arroyo.

I want to thank Rodney Powers for sampling at the Cisco the Jasmine Sparking Tea. Rodney works for Epic Wines a distributor of Golden Star Tea and other fine beverages. is a wholesale fine wine distributor operating on a statewide basis. With qualified sales professionals covering a majority of the California market, Epic Wines products can be found in over 4000 retail and restaurant establishments (and a few corner markets).
For more info on Epic-Wines

What a great replacement for a non-alcoholic champagne option! Touch of sweetness, great taste. It was delicious and I can’t wait to get my hands on some more!

Golden Star White Jasmine Sparkling Tea (non-alcoholic).

Golden Star White Jasmine Sparking Tea offers an experience unlike any other non-alcoholic beverage. The complex flavors and lingering tastes endeavor to satisfy the most discerning palate. A perfect accompaninment to any meal or occassion, it pairs well with a variety of foods and cuisines.
www.goldenstartea.com

Available at Whole Foods.
At the Pasadena store on Arroyo, the bottles are upstairs by the deserts.

Ingredients: an infusion of filtered water and organic silver needle jasmine tea, organic cane sugar.

You can also buy online here

Contact:
(877) 440-4782
info@goldenstartea.com
Mailing Address:
Golden Star Tea Co.
111 Industrial Rd. #6
Belmont, CA 94002

(650) 654-3444
For Immediate Release:
SPARKLING TEA DELIVERS UNPARALLELED
EXPERIENCE
Golden Star’s White Jasmine Is First Sparkling Floral Tea.
Champagne’s Effervescence Pairs Well with Food and Is
Non-Alcoholic.
SAN FRANCISCO — January 11, 2008 — Golden Star Tea Co. introduces
a fresh, new taste with its introduction of White Jasmine Sparkling
Tea, the world’s first sparkling floral tea. The tea is crafted with a
secret blending of heirloom teas with raw cane sugar, and then
fermented using intensely artisanal processes. The product is designed
to meet consumers’ desire for sophisticated non-alcoholic beverages.
Golden Star White Jasmine Sparkling Tea makes its debut this January
at the 33rd annual Winter Fancy Food Show in San Diego.
“White Jasmine Sparkling Tea is a healthy alternative to alcoholic or
high-caffeine drinks,” said Marketing Director and co-founder Joel
Rosenberg. “Moreover, it carries all the traditional benefits associated
with tea drinking with a flavorful, sophisticated taste profile—think of
it more like champagne, but without the alcohol.”
In fact, the taste of White Jasmine Sparkling Tea is already attracting
tastemakers themselves. “A tremendous product,” says Arnold Wong,
chef and founder of two great San Francisco restaurants EOS and
Bacar. “Sexy and hip,” enthuses Marie-Christine Kollock, founder of
Look Model Agency. The tea is appropriate for upscale venues and
events, and the company will be placing the product at the very best
restaurants, resorts, and catered gatherings.
Though it is an heir to a centuries-old history, White Jasmine Sparkling
Tea represents a new direction for white tea, employing a proprietary
fermentation process much closer to winemaking or brewcraft than
anything the RTD tea market has seen before.
Ingredients include Jasmine Silver Needle tea, organic raw Brazilian
sugar, and water. The end result is an all-natural drink infused with
subtlety and aromatic properties unique to the beverage. It boasts a
taste both intricate and refreshing with complex flavor tones.
“White Jasmine Sparkling Tea is an excellent substitute for premium
wine and champagne. We’ve designed it to go well with a variety of
foods,” says Golden Star’s CEO and Creative Director Eddie Carden.
“It’s subtle and aromatic with nice textures; the carbonated bubbles
replicate the feel of champagne, but without the alcohol.”
He recommends serving White Jasmine Sparkling Tea with lightly
flavored dishes, sushi or fruit-centric deserts. Pre-dinner, it can
accompany starters like salads and crudités. Use your best wine
glasses or champagne flutes to serve White Jasmine Sparkling Tea—the
aroma of the beverage will benefit from a traditional presentation.
“This is an elegant drink,” Carden says, “one we think people will
want to order at restaurants and serve at home.”
White Jasmine Sparkling Tea will be available in a champagne-sized
bottle (730ml) retailing for $12.95. One 8-ounce serving contains only
60 calories and 16 grams of carbohydrates. The tea will be rolled out
to fine food grocers and upscale supermarkets in the fall of 2008. The
tea is launching with specialty food and beverage retailers, onpremise
at upscale hotels and restaurants, cruise lines, caterers, and
cultural event venues, as well as anywhere consumers demand unique
food and beverage choices of the highest quality.
Golden Star Tea Company principals include Eddie Carden, CEO and
Creative Director; Joel Rosenberg, Chief Marketing Officer; Dean
Hampton, CFO and Business Strategist; Nora Vitaliani, Director of
Product Quality; and Betsy Haggerty, Director of Operations. The
offices are in San Francisco and Belmont, California.
For more on Golden Star and its White Jasmine Sparkling Tea, please
visit www.goldenstartea.com or contact Kimberly Charles, Charles
Communication Associates, at 415.701.9463 or
kcharles@charlescomm.com.