Drifting jasmine, a minty breeze; true southern classic
Sophisticated. Minty. Floral.
Jasmine, garden-grown spearmint, and cornflower paired with bergamot-infused Assam and Ceylon black leaves for a sublime take on a Southern tradition.
All the nostalgia of a hot-weathered portico framed sunset accompanied by a cicada symphony. Jasmine, local spearmint from our garden, and cornflower collaborate with bergamot-infused Assam and Ceylon black leaves to pull off this sublime take on a southern tradition.
Brewed hot and poured over ice, or steeped slow on the counter all afternoon, Front Porch Special carries the unmistakable taste of a Southern summer in every glass.
Every format gets the same hand-blended ratio of Ceylon, Assam, jasmine, spearmint, cornflower & bergamot.
One pitcher away from understanding why the South hasn't stopped talking about Front Porch Special since 2015.
Six ingredients, working in harmony.
Clean, bright leaves. Lifts the blend with a crisp, high-note body.
Malty, full-bodied depth. The unmistakable backbone of every sip.
A drifting floral note, gentle enough to let the tea lead.
Cool and lightly sweet. Refreshing without the sharp bite of menthol.
Citrusy brightness infused into the leaves. That classic Earl Grey note with a clean finish.
Delicate and mild. Rounds things out with a subtle floral touch.
Same award-winning blend, two ways to enjoy it.
Loose leaf puts you in charge of every brew. A teaspoon for a light, easy-sipping cup, or a heaping scoop for that bold, sweet-tea-strong pour. Match the strength to your mood.
You also get more tea per ounce than with bags, and doubling up the leaves makes pitcher-strength concentrate. Brew once, pour all week into hot mugs, iced glasses, or tea mocktails.
We package our whole leaf teas into beautiful pyramid sachets made from non-GMO Sugar Cane plants. Each one holds the same hand-blended Front Porch Special, with no fannings, no dust, just whole leaves and room to unfurl for a clean, balanced cup every time.
When you are done steeping, the whole sachet is fully biodegradable, leaves and all. No microplastics, no guilt, no fishing a soggy bag out of the trash. It breaks down naturally right alongside your kitchen scraps.
Perfect for the office, the road, a pitcher on the porch, or anyone who wants the award-winning blend without measuring scoops or strainers. Same tea, same flavor, just easier.
Piper & Leaf's award-winning Southern classic, always in the fridge, always ready for the porch.
A family, a few hand-blended batches, and a hunch about what Southerners really wanted in their pitchers.
Piper & Leaf started at a farmers market in 2013. The founders had always dreamed of building a business together, so they hand-blended a few batches of tea and brought them along to sell. The tea sold out week after week, and one batch turned into the next.
At a local street festival, they kept selling out, drove home to brew more, and came back to find customers waiting and strangers pitching in to help. That was when they realized the kind of community bond a good glass of tea could create.
In the early days at the farmers market, customers kept asking Piper & Leaf for one thing: plain sweet tea. It's the house wine of the South, after all. Instead of settling for plain, they blended Ceylon and Assam black teas with jasmine, local spearmint from their garden, cornflower, and bergamot oil, and put it out there.
The result took off. Front Porch Special became Piper & Leaf's number one seller and earned a 2015 Southern Living Food Award, with the magazine declaring it produces "the perfect pitcher of iced tea."
"We could buy ingredients more cheaply from other sources, but that's not what Piper & Leaf is about. We wouldn't compromise quality with substitutes."
The flavor itself was born from an even simpler moment. Co-founder Caleb Christopher remembers sitting with family in front porch rocking chairs on a summer day, drinking Earl Grey, taking in the scent of jasmine flowers and fresh mint growing nearby. They turned that afternoon into a tea.
From a folding table at the farmers market to porches across the country.
What started as a few hand-blended pouches at a Huntsville farmers market has grown into a tradition shared from Alabama to Alaska. Piper & Leaf can now be found in 187 locations across 35 states, with Front Porch Special still leading the way as the blend that started it all.
Every pound is still hand-blended in the Southern Appalachian foothills with locally farmed and foraged ingredients, the same way it was on day one. As we keep growing, our promise stays the same: every glass should taste like a porch on a summer afternoon. We continue to serve the joy, one pitcher at a time.
Still hand-blending, still serving the joy.
— Caleb, Brigette, MaryClaire & Connor
Our founders are all family: Connor, Brigette, & MaryClaire (three siblings) teamed up with Brigette's husband Caleb for the start of this venture. It wasn't long until many more family members got involved in the business, along with all the friends that we could rope into the operation. There's a lot of love in this little tea company!
However you pour it, Front Porch Special makes the moment better
Brew strong, pour over ice, sweeten to taste. The way it was meant to be. A tall mason jar of this on a hot afternoon is the whole reason it exists.
When the weather cools, the bergamot citrus note makes this a relaxing end-of-day cup. Comforting without being heavy.
Concentrated tea is 8× stronger than a normal brew. One quart keeps in the fridge for up to 3 weeks — one ounce of concentrate plus seven of water (hot or cold) and you've got a cup in seconds, no kettle required.
Half Front Porch Special, half fresh-squeezed lemonade, over crushed ice. Get the exact ratios, brewing tips, and serving suggestions in our complete recipe.
The Piper Press is our favorite way to brew — one concentrated batch turns into hot cups, iced glasses, lattes, and tea mocktails all week. This kit packs every tool you need to start, plus enough loose leaf to drink through your first month.
208°F
Full rolling boil
3.5 min
For perfect extraction
Yes
Natural black tea caffeine
Pro tip: For iced tea, brew double-strength (2 teaspoons per 12 oz), sweeten while hot, then pour over a full glass of ice. For concentrate batches, a pound bag can yield over 300 servings.
"I am very picky about my tea, so I was skeptical about how good Piper and Leaf tea would be — but after tasting Front Porch I am convinced it is the best loose leaf tea I have ever tasted. P.S. I love the story of how the company got started!"
"This is our house tea now. We keep a pitcher in the fridge at all times. Friends who visit always end up asking where to buy it. It's sweet tea, but better in every way."
"I send this to my sister in Colorado every Christmas. She says it's the one thing that makes her feel like she's back home in Alabama. The jasmine and mint are so good together."
"I was skeptical because I'm a plain sweet tea purist. But this won me over on the first glass. The bergamot and spearmint add something I didn't know I was missing."
"The Front Porch Palmer recipe is unreal. Half this tea, half lemonade, over crushed ice. It's my go-to drink all summer long. Better than anything at the coffee shop."
"Visited Huntsville last year and brought back two jars. Already ordered refills twice. This tea is the real deal, not a gimmick. Real ingredients you can actually taste."
"I keep the mason jar on my counter because it's genuinely beautiful. But the tea inside is even better. It's become my daily ritual: brew, ice, porch, repeat."
Everything you want to know before your first glass
This was literally born from that craving. Customers kept asking for plain sweet tea, so Piper & Leaf built a more layered version with black tea, jasmine, spearmint and bergamot. It scratches the same itch, with more character.
Not at all. Front Porch Special is balanced and Southern first. The jasmine and spearmint support rather than overpower. It's grounded in rich black tea. Think "minty breeze" not "flower shop."
No. It's excellent both hot and iced. On ice, it feels like a summer breeze. Hot, the bergamot citrus note makes it a relaxing end-of-day cup. Either way, it works.
Because it layers black teas from established tea regions with locally grown Southern ingredients, from a family-run, farmers market-rooted company. It's crafted, not commodity.
Yes. Front Porch Special is a black tea blend, so it naturally contains caffeine. It's great as a morning or afternoon pick-up. For a caffeine-free option, check out our herbal blends.
Brew at 208°F (full rolling boil) for 3.5 minutes. For iced tea, brew double-strength, sweeten while hot, then pour over a full glass of ice. For a Front Porch Palmer: half tea, half lemonade, over ice. With concentrate brewing from the pound bag, you can get over 300 servings.
The glass jar contains 55 grams of loose leaf Front Porch Special, enough for over 30 servings. The branded jar is refillable and collectible. More than 100,000 have been sold. People love bringing them back to Piper & Leaf locations for refills.
Yes. Free shipping on all orders $50 and above. Orders under $50 ship for a flat rate of $5.99.
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