Just Ice Tea Adds 120 mg Cold Brew Line at Whole Foods

By Marcus Bennett

Just Ice Tea says its new Awaken cold brew teas contain 120 milligrams of caffeine, equivalent to two espresso shots, and will reach Whole Foods stores beginning Nov. 13.

According to Just Ice Tea's press release, Awaken blends organic yerba mate with green and white tea leaves. The line will come in three flavors:

• Strawberry Spark
• Tropical Takeoff
• Honeydew Lime Lift

What is Just Ice Tea promising?

Just Ice Tea positions Awaken as a high-caffeine alternative to traditional energy drinks and sugary coffee beverages. The launch seeks to capture what the company calls growing demand for better-for-you energy drinks, though the release provides no market-size data or sales forecast.

Seth Goldman, CEO and co-founder of Just Ice Tea, said: “There’s no question people are looking for ways to get more vitality out of their day.” He added: “But we think there’s a way to deliver a little boost without some of the ingredients found in energy drinks.”

Goldman's pitch centers on vitality without every ingredient found in energy drinks. He does not name the omitted ingredients, and Just Ice Tea's release gives no sugar, calorie or broader nutritional comparison.

In practical terms, Awaken offers a defined caffeine level and tea-based positioning, but the release does not substantiate its healthier framing.

How does Awaken fit the functional-drink field?

Just Ice Tea launched in 2022 by Goldman and chef and restaurateur Barry Nalebuff, both founders of Honest Tea. Its range includes sweet and unsweetened teas in a variety of flavors. Awaken extends the line into cold brew tea and the high-caffeine energy market.

The release places Awaken inside an expanding push toward alternative and functional energy drinks. It says tea brands are positioning their products as more natural caffeine sources that can provide a boost without the jitters associated with coffee or energy drinks.

The release offers no evidence that a tea formulation removes those effects for every consumer. Within that set, it cites Saint James Tea's first yerba mate tea, launched to attract consumers seeking more caffeine from different sources.

The same release says Pure Leaf entered functional beverages earlier this year with a tea enhanced by L-theanine. Awaken joins several tea brands chasing the same demand for alternative and functional energy drinks, but no evidence shows that shoppers will switch.

How does 120 mg compare with the cited products?

The release says Celsius' Alani Nu continues to generate high sales with 200 mg of caffeine. Awaken contains 80 mg less on those figures, although the announcement gives no serving basis and no actual Alani Nu sales figure.

It also cites Coca-Cola's newly reformulated Mr. Pibb, which has 30% more caffeine than the original. The announcement gives no absolute caffeine amount, so the comparison shows direction rather than a ranking.

The release also says consumers are moderating caffeine intake even as demand remains for highly caffeinated products. That tension creates room for concentrated launches, although it does not show how much volume Awaken can take from energy drinks.

At 120 mg, Awaken is a high-caffeine tea, but it does not lead the products cited in the release.

What must Awaken prove after launch?

Just Ice Tea does not disclose a price, package size, sugar or calorie content, a sales target or any distribution plan beyond Whole Foods for Nov. 13. It also does not specify whether the 120 mg figure applies per bottle, can or serving.

The Nov. 13 rollout will test whether Whole Foods shoppers buy a 120 mg cold brew tea positioned between coffee, traditional tea and energy drinks. Without pricing or a broader distribution commitment, Awaken's wider trade potential remains untested.

The immediate test is narrow and measurable: three flavors, one named retailer and a launch date, but not yet a clear commercial case.