Popular Iced Teas for Summer

This month, June 20^th, the official first day of summer begins.  As the temperatures rise and COVID-19 restrictions begin to loosen, people all over the United States will start spending much more time outside in the summer heat.  For many, this means more refreshingly cold drinks to cool them down during the summer months. And what better drink to have then iced tea?

Tea has a long history in the world, but iced tea has a much shorter and less romantic history. The origin story of iced tea begins not at the World’s Fair of 1904 as popular opinion would have it. No, the first known recipe for iced tea was printed in the cookbook, “Housekeeping in Old Virginia” with the recipe brought to us by Marion Cabell Tyree. This recipe used green tea, sugar, and lemon.

The more popular story of iced tea began in 1904 in St. Louis at the World’s Fair where one of the vendors was serving his hot tea to customers; however, he did not have many customers.  It was a sweltering hot day, and no one wanted hot tea.  So, with good ole’ American ingenuity the vendor poured his tea over ice and offered that to his customers instead. It became an instant hit.

The world of iced tea has evolved over the years with tea becoming cheaper and more readily available.  The recipes, concoctions and iced infusions are so numerous that it would be impossible to list all the variations. However, we will list a few of the most popular iced tea recipes found on planet earth.

Sweet Tea

Referred to as “the house wine of the South,” in Steel Magnolias, sweet tea is by far the most popular drink in the South. Sweet tea is a black tea pre-sweetened with sugar and served cold.

Ingredients

4 Tablespoons Ceylon Black Tea
4 cups filtered water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups ice

Directions

1. Pour 4 cups of freshly boiled water over tea leaves
2. Steep for 5 minutes
3. Add sugar to the hot tea, stir to dissolve
4. Pour hot tea, strained, into a pitcher of ice
5. Place pitcher in refrigerator for ½ hour
6. Pour into a glass of ice and enjoy

Arnold Palmer

The famous golfer Arnold Palmer was not only known for his prestige golf skills, but also for the way he liked his tea which was a combination of black tea and lemonade.

Ingredients

4 teaspoons Mokalbari Estate Black Tea
1 cup water
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 cups ice
3 sprigs mint

Directions

1. Bring the water to 190 degrees. Pour it over the black tea and steep for 3 minutes.
2. Strain the tea leaves and stir in the sugar and lemon juice.
3. Add one cup ice and stir.
4. Muddle the leaves from one mint sprig and divide between two tall glasses.
5. Split the remaining ice between each glass.
6. Pour the tea into the glasses. Garnish with a mint sprig

Strawberry & Lemon Sun Tea

Sun tea uses the power of the sun to brew your tea. It is the perfect mix between cold & hot brewed tea and when you add the natural sweeteners of fruit you get a wonderful, iced tea treat.

Ingredients

4 Tablespoons Ceylon Black Tea
3 cups filtered water
1 Lemon – sliced
5 Large Strawberries – tops removed , sliced
Sunshine
Ice

Directions

1. Place Lemon and strawberry slices in large mason jar
2. Place Tea leaves in mason jar
3. Add cold filtered water
4. Seal container and place in direct sunlight for 1-2 hours.
5. Strain over ice and enjoy!

Peach Infusion Hibiscus Tea

Hibiscus tea makes for a perfectly tart and fruity iced tea when your looking for something without the caffeine of true tea.

Ingredients

8 teaspoons Peach Infusion Hibiscus Tea
1 cup warm water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 medium peaches, sliced
7 cups cold water

Directions

1. Mix sugar, lemon juice and 1 cup warm water in a bowl together to dissolve the sugar.
2. Add tea and cover. Steep for 5 minutes.
3. Fill a pitcher with ice and sliced peaches.
4. Strain tea leaves.
5. Pour in tea mixture and 7 cups cold water.
6. Stir well; serve cold over additional ice. Enjoy!