How to Reinvent a 5,000-Year-Old Product With Par Avion Tea's Alexandra Mysoor

Finding Inspo with Alex Barinka

People have been drinking tea for thousands of years. So how do you innovate on a product that’s been beloved for that long? For Par Avion Tea owner and chief creative officer, Alexandra Mysoor, the answer is to make it personal and make it delicious. She joins “Finding Inspo with Alex Barinka” to share how she reinvented the age-old beverage and the challenges she tackled in making something new.

Legend has it that tea was first created around 3000 BCE when an emperor in China witnessed a leaf flutter into a pot of water his servant was boiling. Since then, it’s become an integral part of the cultural fabric in many Asian countries. India is one of the largest tea producers in the world, and the country consumes most of what it grows. The United Kingdom got tea by way of the storied East India Company in the 1600s. Then there was the Boston Tea Party, the iconic destruction of the natural beverage that helped spur the American Revolutionary War.

This mini history lesson is to emphasize that tea has been around and at the forefront of peoples’ consciousness for a long time. That’s why podcast host and Verishop head of external affairs, Alex Barinka, wanted to talk to the woman behind Par Avion Tea. Alexandra has been able to take something so steeped in tradition and kept the heart of what tea is all about – the ritual and the comfort – and revamped it for today’s world with some delightful new elements and personality.

"I felt there was this huge opportunity to have luxury tea that was really fun," Alexandra said. "And I didn't quite know what that was going to mean yet because I felt kind of nervous about pushing the boundary of tea."

Not only did Alexandra get real on this episode about the challenges in growing her business, she also shared the best tips and hacks for when and how to enjoy each and every tea sold on Verishop. Whether it's ways to make sure you're the hostess with the mostest, or the best beverage to wind down after a long day, she'll help you master making tea luxe and fun.

And like every episode of "Finding Inspo with Alex Barinka," this one is also shoppable. Shop Joanna and Alex's favorite products at Verishop.com/inspo. First-time Verishop shoppers can take 20% off their purchase with the code INSPOTEA (exclusions apply, valid through 3/18/20).

Let host Alex Barinka how you are finding inspo from the episode on Instagram or Twitter and she may give you a shoutout on a future episode. See you soon!