"Constant Comment" America's First Specialty Tea

Ruth Campbell Bigelow had been a designer by trade. In 1945, inspired by an early Colonial recipe and dissatisfied with the commodity tea that was commonplace in the 1940s, Ruth focused her creative energies on formulating a better cup of tea in the kitchen of her New York City brownstone. After weeks of trial and error, blending black tea with orange rind and sweet spices, she emerged with the first cup of specialty tea in the country. Ruth shared her tea with friends and received many comments—in fact, “constant comments.” Her new brew got its name, and the Bigelow Tea Company was born. To this day, the Bigelow family’s commitment, enthusiasm, and passion for tea remains unchanged, just like Ruth’s original recipe.