To say that Cherryland member Kevin Vann is a fan of Leelanau County is a bit of an understatement. Having grown up in Traverse City and moved to the neighboring county after college, Vann has ensured that his life’s journey was based in Leelanau. “I’m completely in love with this area,” Vann said proudly.

Leelanau County hasn’t only been home to Vann and his family, but it’s also been home to his entrepreneurial spirit. For the last 15 years, Vann has been the brains behind several startups and inventions.

Vann’s most recent endeavor, however, is unlike anything he’s done before. And it was born out of another love of his: pop.

Vann will be the first to admit that his pop-drinking habit runs deep. “My lunch used to consist of two Mountain Dews and Chex Mix,” he chuckled. “I’ve always loved to sip on something.”

About 10 years ago, Vann decided to back off pop and instead began brewing and experimenting with his own iced tea as a healthier option. That’s when you could say that Leelanau Tea was born.

“As an entrepreneur, I was used to consumer products – inventing products and getting them into stores,” he explained. “Beverages is definitely something different, but I found that I was really interested in the industry.”

Vann’s tea dreams sat quietly for years while he was busy working full-time and raising a family. It wasn’t until COVID-19 struck that he had the time to bring the idea to life.

“The pandemic gave me all the time in the world to work on branding, work with a food scientist, ship samples back and forth, etc.,” he said. “It really gave me the opportunity to focus.”

Vann’s line of beverages consists of four types: sweet tea, unsweet tea, lemonade, and half lemonade, half tea blend. All four beverages have one thing in common: cherries. Vann uses locally grown cherries to flavor all his products.

“Simply, cherries are good for you and taste great,” he said. “The cherry-flavored iced tea gives you that feeling of vacation, driving through the countryside, and having a great summer day.”

You could say that is what inspired the name Leelanau Tea. After weeding out dozens of potential names, Vann stuck with the name that paid homage to his home and its namesake industry. “While I live here and the cherry orchards surround me, it also has an appeal to people who are not living here and would love something to connect them to the area,” he said.

Today, Vann tours the greater Grand Traverse region in his spare time selling his taste of home to stores and shops. And the response so far has been very positive.

“I would say that 75% of the time, the manager of the store is like, ‘Great, we’ll buy it,’ Vann said. “And 25% of the time, I have to leave samples behind, but the next day the store manager calls me and says, ‘Wow, this is great!’”

The iced tea business doesn’t stop with Vann. His wife and kids are known to help out, including dropping off tea at stores while out and about during their day. “They’re getting a kick out of it and helping me grow it,” Vann said.

Like a true entrepreneur, Vann’s vision for Leelanau Tea doesn’t stop locally. He is looking to get his products in locations all across the state and, hopefully, the country.

“There are Michiganders everywhere,” he joked. “I want to create a great connection for those Michiganders that don’t have the luxury of living here year-round.”