About

Hi, I’m Sarah, a geologist born and raised in North Carolina. My inspiration for Ionic Brews comes from the intersection of my love of travel, geology, and the pursuit of making the perfect cup of coffee and tea. I had heard for years to add a small pinch of salt to coffee ground to minimize bitterness. I never thought to try other salts, much less try to change the salinity for tea.

I noticed the tea in the UK tasted stronger and I could never get ours to taste quite the same in the US- my scientific curiosity was piqued. I compared the water in the US and the UK and found the difference to be astounding! The UK was much richer in elements like calcium, sodium, and magnesium.

So, I purchased a few salts and rummaged through my pantry to test out salt recipes that mimicked the UK water. I prepared two cups for a blind taste test. I brewed two cups of Yorkshire Gold tea: one plain and one infused with my specially formulated salt blend. My husband tasted both and without hesitation, he pointed to the latter, exclaiming, "THAT ONE. That tastes just like the tea in Scotland!" That's when I realized I was onto something truly special.

I realized bicarbonate can increase pH, citric acid can bring out brightness, and sodium can neutralize bitterness. I started tweaking salt solutions to optimize flavor for coffee, tea, and minimize acid for my friends and family. Their response showed me I needed to share these with the rest of the world.