I have been a tea person my whole life. Fragrant cups of Earl Grey and steaming mugs of slow-steeped Chai are my lifeblood. So it's funny it took an architecture degree and chronic sleep deprivation to turn that love into something more...
I started High Caf Tea because of a problem I couldn't solve any other way. The problem bubbled up when I was in the middle of completing a Master’s in Architecture. And if you know anything about architecture school, you know that means existing in a cycle of iterations, critiques, caffeine-fueled creative spurts, and sleep deprivation. Late nights were normal and all-nighters were expected! So like all college students everywhere, I turned to coffee and energy drinks...but, nothing actually worked. Coffee would give me a boost, but it also made my stomach hurt. Not to mention, I was woozy from the caffeine crash by 3pm. And energy drinks gave me this jittery, uncomfortable anxiety that made me feel wired but somehow still exhausted. Plus, a lot of them just tasted terrible.
Tea was my go-to comfort drink but it's not like it has enough caffeine to wake me at 2am so I can finish making tiny little bookcases for a scale model. But that gave me an idea! Surely there was some way to make a high caffeine tea?
So I started experimenting like a mad scientist on weekends, testing different teas, brewing methods, and flavor combinations to create something that had the energy boost I needed without the stomach pain, or the synthetic energy drink taste, or the afternoon wooziness.
I noticed around this time that the beverage world was split into two opposites:
Why can't Tea also mean Energy? That's the question I wanted to answer with High Caf Tea.
I created this drink for myself initially (it kept me going till graduation!) and then I wanted to spread it to other people who love all the traditional qualities and flavor of tea, but also need something that can keep up with long workdays, creative projects, studying, workouts, travel, or just the general chaos of being human.
I should make clear that around here, we aren't anti-coffee. It’s not about replacing one drink with another or telling you that tea is superior. But for me, High Caf Tea represents a different kind of energy culture. One that’s less about hustling and pushing yourself to the edge and more about focus, alertness, composure, better gut health, and mental fortitude.
If you’re here reading this, thank you for being part of this story. And if you’re also someone who wants caffeine without the chaos, you’re definitely in the right place!
