Stockton Graham & Co., a Raleigh, NC based coffee roaster and wholesale specialty beverage, equipment and accessory supply company, has been named the exclusive Master Distributor for red espresso® in the United States. This South African product was first introduced to the U.S. market in 2007, with Stockton Graham & Co. as the first distributor. Today, red espresso® has distributors in NC, PA, NY, UT, NV and CA.

red espresso® is 100% Rooibos tea (also known as red tea) produced in a very special, patented way for use in espresso machines – just like coffee! And just as coffee espresso forms the basis for popular specialty drinks like lattes and cappuccinos, red espresso® does too. What’s even better is that it’s rich in antioxidants and naturally caffeine-free – so it can be enjoyed late in the day or night. Like coffee, red espresso® is produced for use in espresso and coffee makers. Expressed, it delivers a strong, rich-tasting, dark red shot of Rooibos tea that has a slightly sweet, earthy, full-bodied taste.

“We are honored to have been chosen as the Master Distributor of red espresso®,” said Jeff Vojta, Co-founder and President of Stockton Graham & Co. “And, the timing couldn’t be better. We believe the U.S. market is ripe for this product given trends like a growing interest in health, as well as the introduction of the health benefits of tea to the café lifestyle. This is a new generation of tea and a good answer to Americans looking for good health from a great tasting, sophisticated product.”

Creating a brand new beverage category, red espresso® is the basis for a range of hot and cold, healthy red drinks, including the red cappuccino®, red latte®, fresh red® (Rooibos iced tea), to name a few. On menus in coffee shops and available on supermarket shelves to be enjoyed at home, red espresso® opens up the world of healthy café culture to those who seek it: coffee drinkers wanting to avoid or cut down on caffeine; tea drinkers; pregnant women; athletes; espresso lovers; as well as people who are conscious of and interested in looking after their health.

Fusing the global trends of health and café culture in a genuine innovation, red espresso® has been honoured with a number of international awards, including making history as the first tea to win the prestigious SCAA Best New Product – Specialty Beverage Award at the world’s largest coffee show; as well as earning the World Tea Expo’s Top 10 New Product in 2008; the IUFoST (International Union of Food Science and Technology) Global Food Industry Award for Product Innovation 2008, as well as the Sunday Times Marketing Excellence Award in 2009. From its humble kitchen counter beginnings, red espresso® is now being exported to over 15 countries.

For additional information or to place an order, visit www.stocktongraham.com or contact Stockton Graham Co. at (800) 835-5943.