Selim Hill Tea Estate comes up with a cold brew of Darjeeling tea for the first time

In a bid to lure young consumers who have developed a taste for cold coffee, Darjeeling's Selim Hill Tea Estate has come up with a cold brew of Darjeeling tea for the first time under the brand name Dorje. Other Darjeeling tea companies said that if the cold brew is accepted by consumers, then they too will explore this new category.

“Selim Hill Tea Estate, located at 3,500 feet in the Darjeeling Himalayan sub region, has produced a unique organic cold brew tea for the first time in its 150 years of operation,” said Sparsh Agarwal, founder of Dorje Teas. “This was done under the guidance and expertise of Rajah Banerjee, the former owner of the famous Makaibari tea estate. This cold brew is available in 250 gm and 100 gm for the Darjeeling tea drinking community of the world.”

Traditionally, Darjeeling tea is prepared in hot water for optimum taste. “However, after six months of research and development, blind tasting and expert consultation, Team Dorje was able to secure the right formula and process to develop a Darjeeling tea product that could be brewed overnight without cold water,” said Agarwal. “The Dorje cold brew tea is dark, bold and strong. It is a loose leaf product that is meant to be brewed overnight and sipped through the day, over ice. Dorje Teas will now be applying for a trademark and patent for its new product innovation.”

The cold brew is meant to appeal to a younger audience that understands and appreciates cold brew coffee, he said.

Madhav Sarda, managing director of Golden Tips, a company which retails and exports Darjeeling teas, said, “Darjeeling cold brew is definitely an interesting proposition. It is different from the ready-to-drink teas that are available in the US and other parts of the globe. However, the cold brew has to be backed by a strong marketing effort. We are watching how things pan out. We will then take a call on whether to enter the category or not.”

Golden Tips runs six tea bars across Darjeeling and Sikkim. It also owns a restaurant in Darjeeling, Teattoria, which sells Italian food. “We may look at serving cold brew at our restaurant,” said Sarda.

The company sells Darjeeling tea ranging from Rs 1,000 per kg to as high as Rs 20,000 per kg.