Photo courtesy of Two Sisters Tea.

Growing up in Guatemala, Claudia Maria and Jessica Michelle would spend sweet, hot summers on the shores of Lake Atitlan—surrounded by volcanoes and sipping on iced Rosa de Jamaica (Jamaican Rose tea, or hibiscus iced tea). Claudia and Jessica each eventually became a mother of three and found themselves making pitcher after pitcher of the refreshing treat to enjoy with their kids as they did as kids. When the women moved from Guatemala to Birmingham, they brought with them the tropical version of their favorite ice tea to enjoy in the southern Alabama sun.

According to the sisters, hibiscus encompasses natural refrigerant properties that have a way of keeping the body cool and refreshed on blistering days.  “As more and more evidence of Rosa de Jamaica's amazing health benefits became available, my sister Claudia Maria and I found ourselves needing to make Rosa de Jamaica available to everyone!” says Jessica. “The one problem we both had with Rosa de Jamaica was the unpractical way of preparing it.” Enter Two Sisters Tea. Through trial and error, the sisters were able to figure out how to simplify the making of Rosa de Jamaica tea so it's as easy as making America's classic sweet iced tea. “As mothers, we know that a parent's time is of the essence,” they say. Making fresh-brewed, naturally-infused hibiscus iced tea has never been easier than with Two Sisters’ teabags, which cut the preparation time by more than half—lessening time spent in the kitchen and increasing time spent enjoying the tea and sunshine.

One of the beauties, they say, of Rosa de Jamaica is its versatility. “You can brew it light or strong, enjoy it sweet or unsweet, no matter your preference the one constant is the wonderful vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants you are adding to your diet.” Amid the rich flora of the tropics, the hibiscus flower produces a salubrious, caffeine-free herbal tea—chock full of vitamin A and C, iron, calcium, and an innate ability to help reduce anxiety, inflammation and high blood pressure. 

Claudia and Jessica now reside here in Sarasota with their families and have garnered a loyal following through social media and word of mouth of Two Sisters’ bold teabags filled with whole hibiscus flowers. Available to shop online through Amazon or their website are four different tea flavors including cinnamon, cardamom, dried pineapple and the original hibiscus.

Photo courtesy of Two Sisters Tea.

Shop their Hibiscus Tea here.