Lyons is the most popular tea in Ireland, which is quite a testament since more tea is consumed per capita in the country than any other brand.

In the United States, Lyons offers two products: Gold Blend and Original Blend (also known as Green Label). Both are distinctly Irish black teas. Irish teas are strong and have a smooth, rich and full taste, and are increasingly popular. If you drink herbal or green varieties, these are not the variety for you.

Lyons Original is better known as Green Label. This is Ireland’s most popular variety. Lyons Gold is a premium product. It is richer and more full-bodied. Both brew a golden color and are best taken with sugar and milk.

Over the years, Irish families grew up enjoying Lyons. Lyons is a quintessentially Irish brand. The brand has a long history dating back to 1902.

Lyons was started by the J. Lyons family in Dublin. A big change occurred in the 1970s when Lyons started offering round tea bags. The move to round bags was so successful Lyons became the market leader capturing over 65% of the market in Ireland. International food company Unilever purchased Lyons in 1996.

More changes came in April 2004 when Lyons introduced pyramid tea bags. The pyramid tea bags act as small teapots and allow the tea leaves to move more freely, producing a better tasting tea.

Lyons commercials are a familiar sight in Ireland. For over 26 years, the Lyons’ singing and dancing minstrels entertained audiences with the jingle “Extra quality, Extra flavor, Lyons the Quality Tea,”

A new advertising campaign was introduced in 2003 and featured 4 bird roommates: Maggie, Pete, Niamh and Tom.

In 2007, Lyons launched a new campaign to highlight the fact that tea is a natural product with many health benefits. Today, Lyons tea is produced at a factory in Dublin. Over 2 billion pyramid tea bags have been produced at this factory.

Committed to being socially responsible, Lyons Tea is part of the Ethical Tea Partnership, which monitors living and working conditions on tea estates.