Southern Sweet Tea

Description

Sweet tea is a classic drink that is most frequently associated with the Southern United States. Since before the country’s founding, hot tea has been a popular beverage in America. The first recipe for cold tea appeared in the 19th century with green tea punches which usually contained green tea, sugar and some type of alcohol. Tea punches became more popular with the advent of commercially-produced ice and refrigeration (ice boxes) through the mid 19th century, and over time, non-alcoholic versions of the recipe became more prominent. By the 20th century, the increased affordability of black tea led it to become the tea of choice for making iced tea, as it still is today. Sweet tea became popularized throughout the US from the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis; the weather was so hot for this event that visitors purposely avoided hot drinks and sought out cold drinks. Iced tea received a further boost during the prohibition era from 1920-1933, when many Americans sought alternatives to illegal alcoholic drinks. Today, sweet tea is a popular drink throughout the US, although it still remains closely associated with the American South due to its historic roots in this region.

(Source: gbpnews.org)

Ingredients

(Makes 2 large glasses)

• 4 black tea bags

• 2 cups water (473 ml)

• ¼ cup sugar (50 g)

• Lemon slices and ice, to serve

Preparation

Bring water to a boil, then turn off heat and steep tea bags in water for 5 minutes. Squeeze excess liquid from tea bags and discard. Stir sugar into hot tea and stir until fully dissolved. Allow the tea to cool, then transfer to a container and refrigerate until cold, as this will be the concentrated tea base.

To serve, fill a glass with ice cubes and a lemon wedge. Pour tea concentrate into the glass and enjoy.

Notes

• You can use this same recipe to make unsweetened ice tea by simply omitting the sugar.