Growing up on her grandmother’s farm in Mendenhall, Christina Berry was raised with the purest herbs, fruits, vegetables, and the cream of the crop. Running around with the wind in her hair and the sweet smell of honeysuckle in the air reminds her of a childhood filled with the trusted food of the land. The natural state of it all brings back a nostalgic feeling that she wants to share, even bottle.

Berry transmitted those childhood memories through Sippsi Good Tea, a Mississippi-based herbal tea brand offering a variety of specialty loose-leaf tea blends. It happened organically while Berry had extra time on her hands during the pandemic. She took a deep dive into her cupboard and started assessing various teas she wanted to drink more of as a healthy alternative, but she found more than lavender and chamomile.

“I just started drinking it, and I was like, I don’t know. I want something more,” Berry said. “So I started mixing and matching different teas, and I feel like I came up with some unique flavors. From there, I just started playing around with loose-leaf tea. I ended up going to a tea conference. I just wanted to immerse myself in the world of tea and just understand this from a business perspective.”

Berry understands business fluently, having earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Southern Mississippi and a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Jackson State University. She understands the importance of resources, research, and location.

First selling the teas wholesale, Berry is now testing the tea business and the patrons of downtown Jackson at 100 E. Capitol St. Suite 106, with a summer pop-up shop. It’s a business district. Most of her customers drop in quickly to purchase and leave, but there is potential for leisure herbal connoisseurs.

“We get a lot of grab and go, but we still want to create a calm and relaxing environment,” said Berry, who has more than 20 years of Urban and Regional Planning experience. “That’s why I created the pop-up shop. We will provide updates as we receive more information. They’re really coming in more because they like the environment and the tea bar.”

Sippsi emphasizes wellness and natural ingredients, with a focus on blends that support cleansing, detoxing, and immune health. Each flavor is inspired by Southern sentiment, with names like Shade Tea Mechanic, Clear as Cotton, and Downtown Detox. It was only right for her to name a brew after her grandmother—Berry Southern, being that her grandmother made some of the best juicy, finger-licking blackberry pies.

“I’m a country girl,” Berry exclaimed proudly. “Everything definitely displays that country living.”