CUSA TEA

Garage Grown Gear is an online store and magazine that spotlights small, startup and cottage outdoor brands. It sells gear, apparel and food from 75+ early stage brands and it helps to tell these brands’ stories through its online magazine. Jim Lamancusa, founder of the world’s first premium instant tea brand Cusa Tea, wishes there was another adjective besides “instant” he could use to describe his craft.  “It doesn’t necessarily mean a bad thing,” he said. “You can have instant and have it taste amazing, too.” Since the brand’s genesis, that’s been his #1 goal. It all started on a backpacking trip in the Colorado Rockies.  While his friends enjoyed their convenient Starbucks Via instant coffee packets, Jim’s daily go-to, thanks to acid reflux, was a cup of tea.  “They had a decent cup of coffee, and here I was carrying around wet, soggy tea bags,” he joked. On that trip, the Ziploc that was carrying said wet, soggy tea bags opened up, leaking tea ju...