Chalu

The name. The name Chalu derives from the Tea Horse Road, 茶路 (Chálù), which the producer frames as a nod to heritage and modernity.^[1]

Yunnan sourcing and research. Chalu sources its tea from Yunnan, a region of wild biodiversity with historical and present-day significance for Chinese tea production. While developing the range, Mia Sun and Fraser Kennedy tasted over a hundred teas across Yunnan province before selecting three expressions for launch. According to Chalu, during research the founder spent time in Lincang with the Bulang people, one of China's smallest ethnic groups and, per oral history, among the first cultivators of the Pu'er tea tree, who tend wild ancient trees 600 to 800 years old growing in the shade of Bingdao Mountain.^[2],[3],[4]

Launch. Chalu officially launched at LUX* Tea Horse Road's Lashi Lake resort in Lijiang, Yunnan, with a debut event on July 4, 2025.^[5]

Fraser Kennedy — Founder and CEO. Fraser Kennedy is the Founder and CEO of Chalu Sparkling Tea. He is from New Zealand and arrived in China in 2013. Before Chalu, he worked as Brewmaster at Goose Island, where he met Mia Sun.^[2],[6]

Mia Sun — Co-founder. Mia Sun is a tea expert and co-founder of Chalu. She and Fraser Kennedy met while working together at Goose Island.^[5]

Chalu combines Yunnan's tea heritage of the Tea Horse Road with craft techniques drawn from the world of wine. The producer positions its sparkling teas as offering the structure, tannin, and subtle mousse of Champagne while being entirely alcohol-free. Every ingredient in Chalu is sourced from Yunnan, and the products are 0% ABV.^[3],[6]

Multi-night jasmine infusion. For the jasmine base used in Snow Jasmine, jasmine tea is produced by infusing dried tea leaves with fresh jasmine blooms over multiple nights, with more infusion cycles producing deeper flavor.^[7]

Snow Jasmine. Snow Jasmine pours a clear straw yellow with tight lacing, showing bright floral notes on the nose and white tea undertones. It is floral, crisp and golden — described as a soft, crushable pour with white grape sweetness, bright acidity, and a clean floral finish. It contains 55g/L sugar and 18.1mg caffeine.

Volcano Oolong. Volcano Oolong pours a bright golden with a train of bubbles, opening with aromas of toasted oak, alpine grass, and roasted nuts. It is toasty and dry with layers of alpine grass, nutty depth, and volcanic structure, finishing with Champagne-like finesse. It contains 34.5g/L sugar and 13.9mg caffeine.