Steaz

Steaz is a United States beverage brand built around organic green tea and positioned at the intersection of natural beverages, functional refreshment, and socially responsible sourcing. The brand was established in 2002 by Steven Kessler and Eric Schnell through the Healthy Beverage Company. Before launching Steaz, the founders worked at Country Life Vitamins, where they encountered an organic bottled tea product called Long Life Tea. That experience, combined with the removal of soft drinks from schools and the expanding American market for organic products, led them to explore an organic tea-based alternative to conventional soda. Steaz's initial breakthrough was Green Tea Soda, presented as the first soda to receive USDA Organic certification. Rather than competing solely as a traditional tea, the product was designed to offer the familiar flavor and format of a carbonated soft drink while using green tea as a core ingredient. The brand's portfolio subsequently expanded to include canned organic green tea beverages in flavors such as peach and mint, along with organic energy drinks. Steaz has emphasized certified organic ingredients and fair-trade sourcing, stating that its products use fair-trade green tea from Kenya and fair-trade cane sugar from Paraguay. The brand has also associated itself with Quality Assurance International organic certification and Fair Trade certification through TransFair USA. The company initially sold through local grocery stores and natural-food retailers. A 2005 distribution agreement with Polar Beverages broadened access to supermarkets, helping Steaz move beyond specialist natural-food channels. The brand later became available through major retailers including Costco and Target in 2014 and 2015. This distribution progression reflects Steaz's effort to make an organic alternative to mainstream soda and energy drinks accessible through conventional retail as well as health-oriented outlets. Steaz has also promoted an environmental and social-responsibility identity. Its products have received favorable attention from sustainability-oriented commentators, including recognition by Fast Company and Greenopia as an environmentally friendly beverage brand. In 2007, Steaz received a Socially Responsible Business Award, and the company was recognized by Inc. magazine among high-growth food and beverage companies. In September 2011, Steaz announced a partnership with the Whole Planet Foundation to support the foundation's work providing microcredit loans to entrepreneurs in developing countries. Consumer and trade reception has generally been positive, although some product reviews have observed that certain Steaz beverages had calorie and sugar levels comparable to conventional soft drinks. In 2025, the company changed the formulation of its green tea line, removing an antioxidant-related element and reducing sugar content. The change illustrates the brand's continuing effort to respond to evolving expectations around wellness and nutritional composition. Steaz remains a privately held brand under the Healthy Beverage Company, with its identity centered on organic certification, tea-based refreshment, fair-trade sourcing, and alternatives to conventional carbonated beverages.

Steaz grew out of the founders' earlier work in the natural-products sector. During the 1990s, Steven Kessler and Eric Schnell were employed by Country Life Vitamins. The company had developed a modestly successful organic bottled tea called Long Life Tea, giving the two executives practical exposure to the market for organic drinks. At the same time, schools and public institutions were beginning to remove conventional soft drinks, while organic products were gaining visibility among American consumers. Kessler and Schnell saw an opportunity to combine the familiar format of soda with the perceived benefits and category associations of green tea. In 2002, the founders established the Healthy Beverage Company and began selling its beverages under the Steaz name. The first major offering was Steaz Green Tea Soda. The product was differentiated from mainstream carbonated soft drinks through its organic credentials and tea-based formulation, and it was described as the first USDA Organic-certified soda. The brand also developed a sourcing and certification platform based on organic and fair-trade principles. Its products have been associated with Quality Assurance International organic certification and Fair Trade certification through TransFair USA. The supply chain has been described as using fair-trade green tea from Kenya and fair-trade cane sugar from Paraguay. Steaz's early distribution was concentrated in local grocery stores, natural-food retailers, and other specialist outlets. In 2005, the company entered into an agreement with Polar Beverages, allowing the brand to reach more supermarkets. This was an important transition from a niche natural-products presence toward broader consumer distribution. The company later expanded into large retail accounts, with availability at Costco and Target reported in 2014 and 2015. The product range developed beyond the original soda concept. Steaz produced canned organic green tea drinks in flavors including peach and mint, as well as energy drinks. The brand's products were marketed as alternatives for consumers seeking beverages with organic ingredients, tea-based formulations, or a more health-oriented image than conventional soda. Reviews were generally favorable, though some observers noted that certain products retained calorie and sugar levels comparable to mainstream soft drinks. Social and environmental responsibility became another part of Steaz's public identity. Sustainability-oriented publications and organizations recognized the brand as an environmentally friendly beverage company. In 2007, Steaz received a Socially Responsible Business Award, and Inc. magazine ranked it among notable food and beverage companies by growth. Also in 2007, the company was identified as a leading brand in vending machines focused on healthier products. In September 2011, Steaz announced a partnership with the Whole Planet Foundation, supporting the foundation's mission of providing microcredit loans to entrepreneurs in developing countries. The brand continued to operate as part of the privately held Healthy Beverage Company. In 2025, Steaz revised the recipe for its green tea line by removing an antioxidant-related element and reducing sugar. This formulation change indicates an attempt to align the line with changing consumer expectations around sugar reduction and wellness, although the available reference material does not establish the full commercial or consumer impact of the change. Steaz's documented history therefore centers on organic beverage innovation, expansion from natural-food stores into mainstream retail, fair-trade and social-impact positioning, and continued adjustment of its product formulas.

• 2025

  Green tea recipe reformulation

  [1]Steazen.wikipedia.org

  Steaz changed its green tea recipe, removing an antioxidant-related element and reducing sugar.

• 2014

  Expansion into Costco and Target

  [1]Steazen.wikipedia.org

  Steaz products became available through Costco and Target during 2014 and 2015.

• 2011

  Whole Planet Foundation partnership

  [1]Steazen.wikipedia.org

  Steaz announced a partnership supporting microcredit initiatives for entrepreneurs in developing countries.

• 2007

  Socially Responsible Business Award

  [1]Steazen.wikipedia.org

  Steaz received a Socially Responsible Business Award and was recognized by Inc. magazine among food and beverage companies ranked for growth.

• 2005

  Polar Beverages distribution agreement

  [1]Steazen.wikipedia.org

  The agreement helped Steaz extend distribution into additional supermarket channels.

• 2002

  Healthy Beverage Company and Steaz are founded

  [1]Steazen.wikipedia.org

  Steven Kessler and Eric Schnell founded the Healthy Beverage Company and launched beverages under the Steaz brand.

• 2002

  Green Tea Soda is introduced

  [1]Steazen.wikipedia.org

  Steaz introduced its first major product, an organic green tea soda described as the first USDA Organic-certified soda.

An organic and socially conscious alternative to conventional soda and energy drinks, combining green tea, functional refreshment, certified-organic production, and fair-trade sourcing.

• Organic tea soda · 2002

  Steaz Green Tea Soda

  Steaz's original major product was a carbonated beverage built around organic green tea. It was designed to provide a tea-based alternative to conventional soda and was described as the first soda to receive USDA Organic certification. The product established the brand's central proposition: familiar soft-drink refreshment combined with organic ingredients and a natural-products identity.

• Ready-to-drink tea

  Steaz Organic Green Tea Beverages

  This line consists of canned organic green tea beverages offered in flavors including peach and mint. The drinks extend Steaz beyond the soda format while retaining the brand's focus on green tea, organic certification, and fair-trade sourcing. In 2025, the green tea line underwent a recipe change that reduced sugar and removed an antioxidant-related element.

• Energy drinks

  Steaz Organic Energy Drinks

  Steaz's organic energy drinks are canned functional beverages within the brand's broader tea-based portfolio. They extend the company's proposition into the energy-drink segment while emphasizing organic positioning and the use of green tea-related ingredients. Specific flavors, formulations, and current availability are not established by the supplied reference material.

• 2011Whole Planet Foundation partnership

  United States

  Steaz partnered with the Whole Planet Foundation to support the foundation's mission of providing microcredit loans to entrepreneurs in developing countries. The initiative reinforced the brand's social-impact and ethical-sourcing positioning.

  Outcome. The available reference material confirms the partnership announcement but does not provide quantified results.

  Source

• 2025

  Reformulate the green tea lineGeneration change

  Background

  The brand operated in a beverage market increasingly focused on sugar reduction and wellness-oriented formulations.

  Action taken

  Steaz changed the green tea recipe by removing an antioxidant-related element and lowering sugar content.

  Aftermath

  The available reference material does not report the consumer, regulatory, or commercial consequences of the reformulation.

  Source

• 2014

  Expand into large-format retailStrategy

  Background

  The brand sought to make its organic beverages available beyond natural-food stores and selected supermarkets.

  Action taken

  Steaz products entered Costco and Target during 2014 and 2015.

  Aftermath

  The move increased mainstream retail exposure, although the supplied material does not quantify its effect on sales or market share.

  Source

• 2005

  Broaden distribution through Polar BeveragesStrategy

  Background

  Steaz initially relied on local grocery stores and natural-food retailers, limiting its reach outside specialist channels.

  Action taken

  The company signed a distribution agreement with Polar Beverages to expand supermarket availability.

  Aftermath

  The agreement supported Steaz's transition toward broader retail distribution.

  Source

• 2002

  Launch an organic tea-based sodaProduct launch

  Background

  The founders saw an opportunity created by the growth of organic products and the declining presence of conventional soft drinks in schools.

  Action taken

  The Healthy Beverage Company introduced Steaz Green Tea Soda as the brand's first major product.

  Aftermath

  The launch established Steaz as an organic alternative to mainstream carbonated soft drinks and formed the basis for later tea and energy-drink products.

  Source

1. 1Steazen.wikipedia.org