Elizabeth’s Pick: Amy’s Blend Rooibos Tea

Every October we are bombarded with pink products purporting to support Breast Cancer Awareness (BCA). I don’t know about you, but I’ve become numb to many of these campaigns, which are beginning to feel a lot like spin. With all of this pink washing, I look for companies that have an intrinsic reason to support BCA—otherwise I’d rather give my money directly to the cause.

One campaign that always passes the test is Caribou Coffee’s Amy’s Blend Collection. When roastmaster Amy Erickson developed breast cancer in 1995, Caribou created Amy’s Blend coffee to help pay her medical expenses. After Amy passed away, Caribou continued the campaign, donating 10 percent of sales of limited edition Amy’s Blend merchandise to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. This year the company hopes to raise a whopping $200,000.

I selfishly look forward to October, when Caribou rolls out one of my favorite fall treats: Amy’s Blend Roobios tea ($7.99). The warm and spicy caffeine-free red tea from South Africa has a kick of cardamom and cinnamon but also an unexpected smoothness that makes it so soothing on a crisp autumn day. Packaged in pretty, cube tins, it’s a no-brainer way to do a little good.

The Amy’s Blend Collection is available at all Caribou Coffee locations and at cariboucoffee.com.