Last updated: 6/7/21
It’s by far America’s favorite way to enjoy tea. Order it in southern states, and it’s sure to be sweetened whether you request it or not. Order it anywhere else in the country and just about every eating establishment or beverage stand is sure to have it. Iced tea is just about as old as the development of refrigeration and the commercial manufacture of ice.
Most of us think of a crisp tasting black tea over ice as the most popular way to enjoy iced tea. But recipes from the 1800s resembled a strong drink of cold green tea generously spiked with liquor and sometimes sweet cream. The earliest record of the more familiar iced sweet tea comes from a community cookbook by Marion Cabell Tyree, published in 1879: Housekeeping in Old Virginia.
“Ice Tea. – After scalding the teapot, put into it one quart of boiling water and two teaspoonfuls green tea. If wanted for supper, do this at breakfast. At dinner time, strain, without stirring, through a tea strainer into a pitcher. Let it stand till tea time and pour into decanters, leaving the sediment in the bottom of the pitcher. Fill the goblets with ice, put two teaspoonfuls granulated sugar in each, and pour the tea over the ice and sugar. A squeeze of lemon will make this delicious and healthful, as it will correct the astringent tendency.”
In 1893, iced tea was sold at the Chicago World’s Fair, but it wasn’t until the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904 that the drink became widely popular and commercialized. The weather was sultry that summer and, as legend has it, no one wanted hot drinks. The crowds went for cold drinks instead and iced tea caught on fast.
Iced tea gained even more popularity during prohibition years in America from 1920-1933. People sought out an alternative to alcoholic beverages, and can you guess what it was? Iced tea!
During World War II, America’s sources for green tea were cut off. Only black tea was available from British-controlled India. Following these years, 99 percent of all tea consumed in the United States was black tea.
There is more to tell of the rich history of iced tea in America, but are you thirsty yet? We’ve created custom award-winning iced tea blends. Now is a great time to stop, sit back and enjoy an iced Ceylon Star, Boldly Blackberry or Sweet Pomegranate. Get it brewing, and read more.