Imagine a quiet summer evening, having dinner outside with a bright beautiful garden in view. That setting is the inspiration behind Teavana Shaken Iced Mango Black Tea Lemonade, a new beverage being offered for a limited time in participating Starbucks stores across the U.S. and Canada, beginning July 7.

“We thought about what we would be doing and eating during the summer,” says Megan Droz, Starbucks senior product developer, beverage and R&D. “We also considered the many Teavana tea flavors and how we could make interesting combinations with them.”

Droz and team began with a long list of summer experiences and paired them with different flavor ideas. They gradually narrowed down their ideas until they arrived at the best combination for the new beverage.

“We always start with the experience first, not the flavor,” Droz says. “That gives us a much stronger connection to the beverage we create because the flavor is rooted in a feeling, in something special that has occurred.”

The Teavana Shaken Iced Mango Black Tea Lemonade is a delicious blend of premium black tea, juicy mango, sweet passion fruit, and a splash of lemonade. Starbucks baristas will shake the beverage a minimum of 10 times in order to release the drink’s vibrant flavors.

There are many varietals of mango, so Droz had to select the one with the best taste. She looked for other flavors to accent the taste of the mango as well. The right balance of tartness to sweetness was also very important. The ideal beverage is mouthwatering and thirst quenching.

“When it comes to iced tea, we strive for a very refreshing beverage,” Droz says. “We also want it to be ’cravable,’ so customers come back for more.”

Thanks to collaboration with Naoko Tsunoda, tea authority and director of tea development at Teavana, Droz had the perfect black tea for the new beverage. Teavana uses premium loose-leaf tea and high quality ingredients that create innovative blends.

“We are excited to learn what customers think of the Teavana Shaken Iced Mango Black Tea Lemonade,” Droz says. “I’m proud to have been a part of its development.”

A Teavana Mango Black tea beverage is available at Teavana stores across the U.S. and Canada. In addition, a Mango Black loose-leaf tea can be purchased at Teavana stores and online at Teavana.com, so customers can easily brew premium iced tea at home, capturing the same great taste. The loose-leaf tea combines Ceylon tea from Sri Lanka, Chinese Black tea from the Hunan Province, three types of mango, and passion fruit. This blend is great on its own or when combined with Teavana’s Limeade Twist, Peach Tranquility, or Golden Monkey Black Tea.

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