The History of Menno Tea
Menno Tea began as a small, on-campus business venture started by Hans Weaver and Niles Graber Miller, both underclassmen at Goshen College.
Hans, having grown up in Lancaster, PA, was familiar with the traditional Mennonite ‘meadow tea’ recipe brewed by his family and community on warm summer days.
This past year, Hans and Niles teamed up to create a bottled version that captured the essence and culture of this Lancaster tea tradition.
With the support of family, friends and passionate Menno Tea drinkers, Hans and Niles have set out to share this exceptional recipe with new communities and new cultures.
The Founder's Stories
Hans Weaver
Hans grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he worked for various start-up restaurants and businesses as a young adult. Hans has always had an interest in beverages and creating new recipes. In high school, he started a coffee shop that provided students and faculty with hot beverages and donuts. Then, during his first year of college, Hans started a soda business out of his dorm room. After meeting Niles, Hans knew that together they could work to make their passion for business and beverages a reality.
Niles Graber Miller
Niles has a passion for finding creative ways to explore the world through business. Before starting Menno Tea with Hans, Niles had started a local mobile advertising business, restoring vintage vehicles and selling ad space on their surfaces. Growing up with a college professor father and artist mother, he spent a total of three years living abroad in six developing countries. He began pilot lessons at age 15, paying for his lessons through several retail jobs and earning his Private Pilots License by age 17. His hobbies are flying and car restoration, with a focus on electric vehicle conversions.