NEW YORK, Jan. 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Hot tea lovers rejoice! There is a new holiday in town, and it's all about celebrating the wonderful qualities of tea. The Tea Council of the USA is excited to announce the first-ever National Hot Tea Day on January 12, 2016, encouraging tea fans across the nation to raise their cups in honor of the beloved beverage. From its health benefits, rich culture and diverse flavors and forms, to its soothing qualities, drinking tea is the perfect way to start the New Year with a sound mind and body. An ancient beverage nearly 5,000 years old, tea has become an American favorite, with approximately four in five U.S. consumers drinking tea. Since January is National Hot Tea Month, this new holiday marks the perfect occasion to kick-off a month commemorating the many reasons why Americans continue to reach for tea. Today, the U.S. is the third largest importer of tea in the world, and the only western nation growing in tea consumption.
In honor of National Hot Tea Day, here's a look at some new insights into America's tea drinking habits from a recent survey commissioned by the Tea Council of the USA.
- Topping it off. The most popular additions to tea are: sugar (46%), honey (40%) and milk (26%). Millennials are more likely than older generation tea drinkers to take their tea with sugar (54% vs. 41%), milk (34% vs. 21%) or both (23% vs. 12%).
- Battle of the sexes. While nearly three-quarters (73%) of Americans think tea drinkers are more likely to be female than male, it turns out tea drinkers are only slightly more likely to be female (85% vs. 79%).
- It's not your grandmother's cup of tea. Millennials are just as likely as older generations to drink tea (83% vs. 82%). They are also more likely than older generations to associate tea drinkers with being younger as opposed to older (45% vs. 30%), male as opposed to female (32% vs. 24%), and loud as opposed to soft-spoken (23% vs. 18%).
- Black tea-drinking nation. Eight in ten (80%) tea drinkers drink black tea. Americans would choose black tea over other types of teas for many occasions, such as when they're feeling tired (42%), hungry (36%), thirsty (34%), stressed (28%), sick (26%), when they have a stomach ache (24%), or when they want clearer skin (20%).
- Tea personalities. A majority of black tea drinkers describe themselves as creative, confident, peaceful, and intellectual. On the other hand, green tea drinkers describe themselves as creative, adventurous, spontaneous and bold.
"While iced tea has been the preferred brew of American tea drinkers, anecdotal evidence suggests consumption of hot tea is on the rise," says Peter Goggi, president of the Tea Council of the USA. "Not to mention, hot tea sales in the U.S. have increased more than 17% over the last five years. Whether you prefer green, black, oolong or white tea, there is something for every palate, and National Hot Tea Day is something everyone can enjoy and participate in."
