

and on top of that too, space is timeless." Expo West bound

“We're all intrigued by its endless possibilities. " Everyone grows up loving space, and then that never really goes away,” Heymann said. This passion for space is reflected in the brand's packaging and cans, which features space imagery. Not only was there an explosion of space photos in the 1960s and '70s, but “ space is also the future,” he added.

The founders of Space Tea also wanted to use the nostalgia and aesthetic of space exploration, which is both futuristic and retro, Heymann pointed out. One way they use their passion for music is exhibiting Space Tea at music events. Given their background, “ music and entertainment is a part of who we are so naturally, … it's a big part of the brand,” Heymman said. After testing several formulations, they realized that they might have something and sent a sample to Erewhon Market, and that was the start of its brand, he added. During the pandemic, Heymman and his partners, who also had backgrounds in the music industry, got to brewing and testing tea flavors out of curiosity, Heymann said. Having come to the beverage industry from the music and entertainment industry nearly 10 years ago, Heymman worked on several beverage brands, including Upstart Kombucha and CBD tea brand Sky & Wyatt, and also did consulting work for several other brands. Blending wellness, music, space and mushrooms Specific to Space Tea, Lion's Mane " has been shown to be effective with nerve growth factory synthesis, while there's evidence of Reishi helping with stress," said Nirmal Nair, founder and CEO of Sempera Organics.

To those functional benefits, research has shown that beta 1,3/1,6 glucans, which are polysaccharides found in medicinal mushrooms, have a range of health benefits from anti-inflammatory properties, blood glucose control, boosting heart health, and more, though more clinical human trials need to be conducted. In fact, the global medicinal mushroom market is forecasted to reach $5.9bn by 2027, growing by a 9.96% CAGR between 2022-2027, largely drive by the health benefits of mushrooms, according to a ReportLinker report. While “ functional mushrooms are growing at a very fast pace,” Space Tea is trying to build its brand authentically, creating a wellness community in the process and tapping into a passion for music and space, Heymman said. “ Number one, we wanted to have a beverage that had those functional beverage benefits that people feel - uplifting energy, calm focus, mood, boosting mental clarity - and when they drink our product, they feel that, and number two, just an amazing-tasting iced tea.” Functional mushroom category set for expansion More recently, in 2023, the brand launched its zero-sugar line that includes lemon, hibiscus, and matcha flavors, he added.Įach Space Tea beverage is brewed with non-psychoactive, adaptogenic Reishi and Lion's Mane mushrooms, “ for uplifting energy, calm focus, mood-boosting, and mental clarity,” Heymann said. Space Tea launched in 2021 with its Original Arnold Palmer-style tea, a black tea and lemonade beverage, and later that year, it released a Mango (white tea and mango lemonade) and Watermelon (white tea and watermelon lemonade) flavor, Co-founder Gabriel Heymann told FoodNavigator-USA said.
