Oprah Winfrey shared a big announcement at the Starbucks shareholders' meeting on Wednesday: She will be teaming up with Starbucks to create her own signature tea line.
Starbucks' annual shareholders meeting made it onto an episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show," as the celebrity talk show host appeared on stage to announce her drink called the Teavana Oprah Chai. According to a press release, the tea is described as a bold infusion of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and cloves, blended with loose-leaf black tea and rooibos.
Beginning April 29, Teavana Oprah Chai will be sold in Starbucks and Teavana stores across the U.S. and Canada. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation to benefit educational opportunities for young girls in South Africa.
"I looove tea," Winfrey said. "My daily tea ritual is a vital part of my morning. Savory and spicy chai, with its deep flavor, has long been a favorite of mine. When Howard Schultz offered to have me come into the Starbucks tasting room and create my very own tea blend, I thought that sounded like such a unique opportunity and fun to the tenth power. To share one of my favorite things with the rest of the world and support youth education at the same time is truly the perfect blend."
In a video of Winfrey's visit to the Starbucks headquarters in Seattle, she admitted to being nervous about getting the perfect blend.
"I woke up at 2:16 this morning thinking about choosing the best tea that would satisfy me and also satisfy all of our customers," she said. "I like things really spicy. I like things chai'd up."
She began the process by selecting the tea's flavor profile and later got to handle several available spices, which include black pepper, chicory, cloves, ginger and red rooibos, among many others. Winfrey explained that she worked tirelessly with the company's "teologists" to create the perfect chai blend.
"As this process was going on and on, I could tell that [the] tea needed to be a little more robust and fuller-bodied, because it was a little too soft," Winfrey said. "I was thinking it needed a little more ginger and a little more pepper... I like things that have a little kick to them."
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz joined the media mogul on stage to reveal the exciting news. Before welcoming Winfrey on stage, Schlutz mentioned that he wanted to "ignite and transform" the tea category. Schultz has repeatedly said that he wants to make tea as popular as the coffee sold at Starbucks.
"With the introduction of Teavana Oprah Chai, we are going to elevate the tea experience in the same way we did for coffee," Schultz said in a statement. "Partnering with Oprah Winfrey in the creation of this distinctive and remarkable tea is a strong next step forward in accomplishing this objective, while also giving back in a meaningful way through the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation. I am personally humbled to work with such an inspirational leader and visionary who share so many of our core values and beliefs. I truly believe that, together, we will set the bar for a world-class tea experience at Starbucks and Teavana."
Schultz participated in Winfrey's tea tasting and said his favorite moment of the process was when she finally found the perfect blend. "At the end, when she tasted that, watching her expression and her smile, saying, 'This is my tea!'-[that] was fantastic," Schultz said.
Are you going to try Teavana Oprah Chai Tea?
