Harvest Hill Beverage Co., Stamford, Conn., announced the launch of its latest innovation, Juicy Juice Teasers, a decaffeinated, lower sugar juice tea blend that will be available at Publix, Food Lion and Kroger stores in the Southeast United States and at select Wal-Mart stores throughout the U.S. later this month, the company says.

"The idea behind Juicy Juice Teasers is deliciously simple and at the same time break-through," said Harvest Hill’s Chief Marketing Officer Ilene Bergenfeld in a statement. “By blending juice and tea, we've created a lower-sugar, refreshing beverage that tastes delicious. Our research found that older kids are looking for more beverage variety, but most options have sugar and/or caffeine. Juicy Juice Teasers is a beverage both moms and kids will reach for in the grocery store aisle and at home."

According to the New York-based Tea Association, 80 percent of U.S. households have tea in their kitchens, and more than 85 percent of tea consumed in the U.S. is chilled, ready-to-drink (RTD) tea. Yet, few tea beverages are created with kids in mind, and, in fact, sweet tea, popularized by tea-drinkers in the South, is typically high in sugar and caffeinated, it adds.

By contrast, Juicy Juice Teasers is made from decaffeinated and caffeine-free teas and, like all Juicy Juice beverages, contains no high fructose corn syrup, cane sugar or artificial sweeteners, the company says.  The sweetness comes straight from the fruit, resulting in a refreshing beverage that contains 50 percent less sugar than the leading juice, it adds.  

Juicy Juice Teasers is packed in 10-ounce single-serve six-packs and 64-ounce bottles in several flavors, including Peach, Berry, Half & Half and Apple.

The new Juicy Juice Teasers follows last summer's successful introduction of Juicy Juice Splashers, a lower-sugar pouch product, which was part of a larger brand reinvigoration by Harvest Hill Beverage Co. It will market Juicy Juice Teasers with in-store communication, consumer sampling, TV, and digital advertising and promotions.