The boysenberry itself is a bit of a mongrel: a bramble cross of blackberry, loganberry, raspberry and American dewberry. Nobody is entirely sure where it started — Northern California in the early 1900s gets the most votes, though some trace it to the UK with thin evidence — but New Zealand has since become the world's largest grower, mostly for jams and jellies as well as fruit teas like this one.
This particular blend pairs the boysenberry with orange peel, hibiscus flowers, rosehip and apple pieces. The result is a sweet, fruity cup with tart undertones and a bold red, dark-toned liquor. Floral notes from the hibiscus sit alongside orange, raspberry and blackberry, rounded out by rosehip and apple.
Fruit tea as a category has a curious backstory in America. When colonial tea taxes grew unbearable, a group of colonists dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor in 1773 — the Boston Tea Party — an act that helped ignite the Revolutionary War. Real tea leaves became scarce afterward, so colonists turned to whatever fruit and botanicals were on hand, and fruit tea filled the gap.
Hibiscus has long been drunk as a tonic, traditionally associated with supporting heart health and blood pressure, though that's folk use rather than a guarantee.
Tea & Coffee packs this one at their own facility. Drink it hot, or let it cool for a glass of iced tea — either way it holds its punch.