*Photo credit: Emma K. Morris Photography*

Hi chai enthusiasts! I’m back with a very special interview series.

If you haven’t already heard, I Try Chai has launched our first chai sampler box! Included is the top 3 chais from the blog. One of the very best chais included in this set is from Tipu’s Chai, their Chai Now Sweetened Masala Chai (which you can read my review of here).

To let you guys get to know the brand a little better, I reached out to Amy O’Hoyt from Tipu’s, and she was kind enough to take the time to do an interview with I Try Chai!

Jasmine (I Try Chai): Hi Amy! Thank you for agreeing to do this interview with me for the blog. I know my readers are going to love getting a closer look at your brand.

Amy (Tipu’s Chai): Thank you again for including us!

Jasmine: So tell me a little more about your role in the business.

Amy: What is so cool about Tipu’s Chai is as a small business we all wear many hats and pitch in where needed to help make Tipu’s successful. We cater projects and responsibilities to our team’s skill sets, and I get the pleasure of working directly with current and potential customers.

Our customers range from chai lovers who are purchasing for their home to business owners purchasing for their café. It’s always exciting to get the email, “I tried your chai in New York and would love to serve it in my Oregon café!” and to hear from our home customers who start every day with Tipu’s Chai.

Jasmine: Wow! That’s really neat you get to interact directly with those who love your brand so much. It’s clear to anyone who has tried your products or visited your site how much care goes into the business.

So what’s the backstory behind Tipu’s Chai? How did it get started?

Amy: Our story began in 1997 when Bipin Patel first served his grandmother Kashi’s chai in his popular Missoula, Montana restaurant. The chai was in such demand that in 2007, Bipin sold the restaurant to focus his efforts on sharing his grandmother’s recipe, and Tipu’s Chai was born. While staying true to the family recipes, today we proudly share Tipu’s Chai with cafes and customers all over the world. We blend carefully sourced tea and organic spices in small batches to deliver the perfect taste of India in every cup.

Jasmine: After trying it myself, I can see how the chai grew such a following so quickly! I love that you stick to the original recipe down to today.

What would you say is Tipu’s key values/philosophy?

Amy: As a team we actually sat down last year in 2020 and took the time to reevaluate our values. I’m so very proud to list them here:

We believe in business partnerships by building trust, working together, and communicating.

We believe in our team, supporting individuals both professionally and personally in their goals and aspirations.

We believe in our community, giving back to organizations and people in need.

We believe in making sustainable choices by reducing our own impact on the environment each year.

We believe in quality in every aspect of our organization. Selecting the best raw ingredients, producing the best products, and offering the best in customer service.

We believe every café should be able to serve a chai that reflects their values. This is why we share ours.

Jasmine: That’s incredible. I always love hearing about a brand’s values because when you look at their product, you can see the effects that it has on everything, from flavor to packaging.

So why try chai? What got you interested in chai?

Amy: As anyone who reads this website knows, this history of chai runs far and wide. What I became interested in is the quality of chai available here in the United States. Tipu’s Chai offers a chai that we believe represents the best of the Indian beverage.

Chai should not be an afterthought on a menu or on a shelf. It should be chosen and prepared with the same amount of care as other favorite beverages of choice, including coffee and tea. Tipu’s Chai makes this decision easy for our customers by providing a recipe with real, organic ingredients that stays true to our roots honoring grandmother Kashi’s recipe.

Jasmine: I couldn’t agree more. Chai deserves some more attention around here! (And not the watered down overly sugary version that’s common across many places). Especially a flavorful and bold chai, such as Tipu’s.

When it comes to chai, there are many different types out there, each choosing to enhance a different ingredient/flavor. What is your favorite part of chai?

Amy: SPICE! Spice on ice, spice with creamy whole milk, spice with oat milk, anyway you call it it’s the spice for me. One of the coolest parts of my job is when I am at a café doing a tasting or a trade show and watch people try Tipu’s for the first time.

One reaction most people have is that they bring their hand to their throat with this interested, inquisitive look as if they are asking, “What is that tingle?” It’s the spice! Be it the ginger, black pepper, or peppermint I promise you that tingle will keep you coming back for more.

Jasmine: I agree! I have always loved spicy foods and things of that nature, so when I first tried a spicy chai, I fell in love immediately.

You’re clearly doing something right when it comes to chai. This is one of my favorites I’ve ever had. So tell me, what specifically makes your chai better than all the others being sold out there?

Amy: Thank you! What a wonderful thing to learn from a chai aficionado like yourself! Honestly, it’s our recipe and the commitment our founder, Bipin Patel, had to use real, organic spices that are ground – no extracts. Those ground spices deliver unfiltered flavor that you will actually see (and taste!) at the bottom of every cup.

Jasmine: Ahhh yes, I knew your chai was the real deal when I saw those spices right there in my mug. If you could sum up your chai in just a few words, how would you describe it?

Amy: Real chai. Real easy.

Jasmine: I love it! It’s that simple.

And lastly, if someone is reading this and has never tried chai before, what would you say to them? Why should they try chai?

Amy: The blend of tea, bold spices, sugar and milk is unmatched in the beverage game.

Let’s imagine sitting with a freshly brewed cup of chai. First you take in the aroma of spices and black tea. It’s an easy breath that that prepares your taste buds for the balance of spice and sweetness in your first sip. This balance is carried by the creaminess of milk that in the end, warms and awakens your entire body.

Sound good? Give Tipu’s Chai a try!

Jasmine: That was put perfectly. Thank you again so much for taking the time to do this interview with me for I Try Chai! I loved learning more about Tipu’s Chai and I’m sure my readers did as well.

If you’d like to sample Tipu’s Chai, you can find it in the brand new You Try Chai - Chai Sampler Box. Featured alongside my other favorite chais, you’ll get 3 oz of each to try for yourself.

This chai box makes for a great treat to your favorite chai enthusiast, or yourself! Find it here.