A man stackingTeh Botol crates in a Jakarta warehouse. The founder of Indonesia's iconic drink died on WednesdayThe founder of Indonesia’s iconic Teh Botol Sosro tea, Soetjipto Sosrodjojo, passed away on Wednesday. Pak Tjipto died at Mitra Kelapa Gading Hospital in North Jakarta. He was 77 years old. Teh Botol Sosro was the pioneer of packaged ready-to-drink tea in Indonesia. According to the company’s online profile, the Sosrodjojo family started selling dried tea in Slawi, Central Java in 1940. As the business expanded, the family began promoting its tea in Jakarta. Salespeople would go to markets and brew pots of tea to give away. But since customers had to wait for the tea to cool before they could drink it, this method was deemed too time-consuming. The company began distributing brewed tea in open trucks. But the tea would often spill due to rough roads. Finally, the family began sending out its tea already cooled and bottled. It caught on with customers because they didn’t have to wait to drink it. In 1970, PT Sinar Sosro established its bottled tea factory, the first in Indonesia and the world. Teh Botol Sosro is famous for its slogan, “Apapun makanannya, minumnya Teh Botol Sosro” (“Whatever the meal is, the drink is Teh Botol Sosro”). Funeral services are at the funeral home of Gatot Subroto Army Hospital. Pak Tjipto will be buried at San Diego Hills Cemetery in Karawang on Friday morning.
