TGFC Producer Spotlight

Introducing Marcus from Alice Hard Brewed Tea

Marcus Walker, from Alice Hard Brewed Tea, had the idea to create New Zealand’s first alcoholic tea. It took a little trial and error, but after six months he had made his first sale in July 2021. They are now multi award winning and have a very interesting story to share. The team at Alice Hard Brewed Tea sees themselves as a low sugar and lower alcohol alternative to sparkling wine. Read more about them in our interview with Marcus.

TGFC/ How did you get started?

Marcus/ I was doing home brew beer for a while. One day I had this crazy idea that you brew beer and you brew a pot of tea. After 6 months of getting all the required licenses and product testing, we made our first sale in July 2021

TGFC/ What makes Alice Hard Brewed Tea special?

Marcus/ We are a New Zealand first. We are the only company in New Zealand to produce a fermented tea, we aren't kombucha as we use champagne yeast as our fermenter and not a scoby. We see ourselves as a low sugar and lower alcohol alternative to sparkling wine.

TGFC/ Do you have a favourite product?

Marcus/ My favourite flavour is the herbal tea - hibiscus, rosehip & apple. It has this amazing complex flavour of hibiscus, rosehip, aniseed & peppermint leaf with a base of apple. It also happens to be our most awarded flavour.

TGFC/ What’s your most popular product?

Marcus/ Our mixed packs - I don't think enough startups do a mixed pack, this is something I took from enjoying craft beer.

TGFC/ When do people tend to enjoy your product the most?

Marcus/ We aren't seasonal, but we certainly notice greater volumes with the weather is nice and warm.

TGFC/ Have you won any awards?

We entered the following flavours in the 2022 New Zealand Artisan Awards, and they all won gold medals: 
1. Herbal Tea - Hibiscus, Rosehip & Apple
2. Green Tea - Lime & Marigold
3. Black Tea - Strawberry & Vanilla
4. Rooibos - Orange & Lemon Peel

In the 2022 New Zealand Cider & Fruit Wine (we are technically a fruit wine) Awards we won:
1. Overall category winner for Hard Tea / Hard Kombucha
2. Silver Medal: Herbal Tea - Hibiscus, Rosehip & Apple
3. Bronze Medals: Black Tea - Strawberry & Vanilla and Rooibos - Orange & Lemon Peel

TGFC/ How do you explain your tea to someone who has never heard of alcoholic tea?

Marcus/Alice Hard Brewed Tea is a Premium Tea Brewing company based in beautiful Pokeno - just south of the Bombay Hill. We take traditional fermentation techniques and combine them with the brewing of tea. We aim to bring a new dimension to your humble cup of tea.

All of the tea used is sourced from socially responsible suppliers who value fair trade practices. We share in their commitment for ethically and sustainably sourced products.