Long Island Iced Tea, a ready-to-drink (RTD) tea brand, has announced that its beverages are now sold through Empire Distributors, which services over 8,000 accounts across the US states of Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee.

Long Island Iced Tea CEO Philip Thomas said: "We are thrilled to begin this new partnership with Empire as we continue to broaden our presence in the southeast.

"Empire is a premier distributor and with its vast network will help us to further solidify our presence in the region, reinforcing the validity of our strategy to progress from distributors to regional chains to national chains."

"We are thrilled to begin this new partnership with Empire as we continue to broaden our presence in the southeast."

Empire Distributors retail wine division manager Jimmy Tryon said: "Long Island Iced Tea is the perfect complement to our company's ever growing non-alcoholic portfolio. We are thrilled to launch this brand in the Georgia market.

"It is a quality product and will surely make an impact here in the south where we certainly love our tea and are looking for a healthier choice."

Long Island Iced Tea RTD tea will be available through Empire in 20oz bottles.

Empire Distributors is a distributor of spirits, wine, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages. It currently serves the states of Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee, and employs 800 people and distributes over 10,000 stock keeping units (SKUs).

The company services over 8,000 accounts, including Wal-Mart, Kroger, Publix, Food Lion, Winn-Dixie, and Food Depot.