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Steeped Tea: Ontario Tea Company, Now Sipology

Steeped Tea, now Sipology, offers flavored matcha powders, including peppermint, strawberry, pineapple, lemon, vanilla, and mocha.
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Who is Steeped Tea?

Steeped Tea is a Hamilton, Ontario tea company, now known as Sipology, offering flavored matcha powders for cold drinks. Its matcha blends Japanese green tea with flavors such as peppermint, strawberry, and vanilla bean, alongside more traditional Premium Matcha.

Founded in 2006 by Tonia and Hatem Jahshan, company describes its products as handcrafted and small-batched. Products contain no artificial colors, flavors, irradiated ingredients, preservatives, or fillers, though Sipology does not publish specific matcha growing or harvest origins.

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Dragons' Den success story brewing flavored matcha innovation

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Steeped Tea in details

Steeped Tea (now operating as Sipology) began with a transformative moment in 2006 when founders Tonia and Hatem Jahshan discovered the remarkable difference between loose-leaf tea and conventional tea bags during a retreat in Nova Scotia. That single cup of Earl Grey de la Crème sparked a mission to bring premium loose-leaf tea—and innovative flavored matcha powders—to North American homes through a direct sales model that builds community around quality tea.

From Dragons’ Den to Direct Sales Success

The brand’s credibility skyrocketed in 2012 when Tonia and Hatem pitched their vision on CBC’s Dragons’ Den, securing $250,000 in funding and partnerships with investors Jim Treliving and David Chilton. What started in a basement has grown into a multi-million dollar company with over 6,000 consultants across Canada and the United States. Steeped Tea has been recognized as one of Canada’s PROFIT 500 Fastest-Growing Companies, while Tonia earned recognition from Ernst & Young and Forbes as a top female entrepreneur.

Matcha Innovation Meets Real Ingredients

While many brands offer traditional matcha, Steeped Tea distinguishes itself through creative flavored matcha options designed for modern lifestyles. Their line includes ten unsweetened varieties and six lightly sweetened options in flavors like vanilla, chocolate, and peach—formulated specifically for cold preparation to appeal to North American preferences. Every product contains real, whole ingredients without artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.

As a member of the Ethical Tea Partnership, the company maintains rigorous quality standards and works closely with Health Canada and the FDA to ensure product safety and compliance.

Beyond Tea: A Wellness Philosophy

The Sipology catalog extends beyond matcha to include:

  • Kombucha products with lab-certified scoby starters
  • Color-changing fruit teas that create engaging tea experiences
  • HEAL-THY SELF medicinal tea line paired with essential oils
  • Premium loose-leaf tea blends and accessories

What sets Steeped Tea apart is their commitment to connection. Each product serves as a catalyst for bringing people together—whether through consultant-hosted tea parties, online Facebook events, or simply sharing a cup at home. The brand proves that quality matcha and tea can be both accessible and community-driven, transforming an ancient tradition into something fresh, approachable, and genuinely Canadian.

About the Steeped Tea Matcha

Sipology, formerly Steeped Tea, offers a range of flavored matcha powders formulated to be enjoyed cold, blending Japanese green tea with contemporary taste preferences for refreshing drinks.

Flavored matcha collection

  • Peppermint Matcha: green tea with peppermint for a refreshing twist.
  • Sweet Strawberry Matcha: green tea with real strawberries.
  • Pineapple Punch Matcha: a tropical flavor profile.
  • Lemon Matcha: a bright, citrus-infused variety.
  • Vanilla Matcha: green tea blended with vanilla bean.
  • Fruit Punch Matcha: green tea with banana pieces.
  • Mocha Matcha: green tea infused with natural coffee flavoring.

Product categories

The range spans Fizzy Matcha Sours, positioned as an alternative to soda and energy drinks; Sweet Matcha with 10 calories or less per serving; and Premium Matcha for a more traditional experience. All products are free from artificial colors, flavors, irradiated ingredients, preservatives, and fillers.

Harvest location

Sipology (formerly Steeped Tea) maintains limited transparency about the specific sourcing and harvesting of its tea leaves. The company describes its approach as handcrafted and small-batched, and emphasizes sustainable manufacturing, but does not publish where or how its matcha is grown.

Sourcing transparency gap

Specific details about the geographic origin of the matcha and the cultivation methods used are not readily available. Open questions include the environmental practices of the source farms, the treatment and compensation of workers, and whether traditional Japanese cultivation or modern farming techniques are used.

Steeped Tea History

Steeped Tea, now known as Sipology, was founded in 2006 by husband-and-wife team Tonia and Hatem Jahshan in Hamilton, Ontario, with a vision to reshape the tea-drinking experience.

Milestones

  • 2012: A successful pitch on CBC's Dragons' Den won backing from Jim Treliving and David Chilton, driving national expansion.
  • 2016: Tonia Jahshan was named Canada's top female entrepreneur.
  • 2020: The company rebranded as Sipology, broadening into wider beverage and wellness products.
January 1, 2006

Tonia and Hatem Jahshan founded Steeped Tea with a vision to revolutionize the tea drinking experience, starting their entrepreneurial journey in the specialty tea industry from the ground up.

January 1, 2012

The founders delivered a successful pitch on CBC's Dragons' Den, securing partnerships with prominent investors Jim Treliving and David Chilton, which catapulted the company into rapid national expansion.

January 1, 2016

Tonia Jahshan was recognized as Canada's top female entrepreneur, highlighting the significant impact Steeped Tea had made on the Canadian business landscape and inspiring other entrepreneurs.

January 1, 2020

The company underwent a strategic transformation and rebranded as Sipology, diversifying beyond traditional teas to include a comprehensive range of beverage and wellness products, positioning as a lifestyle brand.

Frequently asked questions

Here are some frequently asked questions and answers.

What's the difference between Sipology's Fruit Punch Matcha and their Pineapple Punch Matcha flavors?

Fruit Punch Matcha combines green tea with banana pieces and natural flavor, creating a tropical blend with actual fruit components. Pineapple Punch Matcha focuses specifically on pineapple flavoring without the banana pieces, offering a more targeted tropical taste profile.

Both are formulated to be enjoyed cold and contain no artificial colors or preservatives, but the Fruit Punch variety provides texture from the real banana pieces while Pineapple Punch delivers a cleaner, more focused pineapple experience.

Since Steeped Tea rebranded to Sipology, are the matcha products still the same quality?

Yes, the matcha quality standards remained consistent through the rebrand from Steeped Tea to Sipology. The company maintained their commitment to high-grade matcha specifically formulated for cold preparation.

The rebrand in the years following their 2012 Dragons' Den success was primarily about expanding beyond traditional teas into broader beverage and wellness products, not changing their core tea quality standards. All matcha products continue to be free from artificial colors, flavors, irradiated ingredients, preservatives, and fillers.

How does Sipology's Mocha Matcha compare to traditional matcha for someone new to matcha?

Sipology's Mocha Matcha serves as an excellent introduction to matcha for newcomers, especially coffee drinkers. This blend combines green tea with natural coffee flavoring, creating a familiar coffee-like taste that bridges the gap to traditional matcha.

  • Familiar flavor profile: Coffee notes make the earthy matcha taste more approachable
  • Cold-formulated: Designed for iced drinks, perfect for coffee shop-style beverages
  • Natural ingredients: No artificial flavors, just green tea and natural coffee flavoring

Traditional matcha has a more pronounced grassy, umami flavor that can be intense for beginners, while the Mocha variety eases the transition with recognizable coffee notes.

Why does Sipology emphasize that their matcha is formulated to be enjoyed cold?

Sipology's cold-formulated matcha addresses a common problem with traditional matcha - it often doesn't dissolve well in cold liquids and can become clumpy or gritty. Their specific formulation ensures smooth mixing in cold beverages.

This innovation aligns with modern drinking preferences for iced matcha lattes, smoothies, and cold-brew style drinks. The cold formulation also preserves the integrity of their flavored varieties like Sweet Strawberry and Peppermint Matcha, which maintain their distinct taste profiles better in cold applications than traditional hot preparation methods.

What makes Sipology's Sweet Strawberry Matcha different from artificially flavored matcha products?

Sipology's Sweet Strawberry Matcha incorporates real strawberries along with green tea and natural flavor, distinguishing it from products that rely solely on artificial strawberry flavoring.

The inclusion of actual strawberry pieces provides natural sweetness and authentic berry notes, while maintaining Sipology's commitment to no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, or fillers. This approach delivers a more complex flavor profile with the nutritional benefits of real fruit, rather than just synthetic strawberry taste.