The Real Complexity of Fantastic Iced Teas

There are interesting things about iced tea that I did not know until an article about Southern Sweet Tea caught my eye. I decided to share what I knew about iced tea in the USA, but branched out to include my favorite iced teas from Thailand and India.

—**—

What is it With USA + Iced Tea?

I had a hard time finding good, authenticated documents about several questions I had regarding the use of ice in general; often the articles I found asked the right questions but never seemed to answer them (1, 2). Why do Americans in the USA use so much ice in their drinks, why do they seem to love cold drinks to begin with, and why have so many “iced teas” come from the USA?

Climate

The first explanation I came up with had to do with the happenstance of where European colonialists first landed and established themselves in this country. That is, the muggy, damp, and hot East Coast and Southern regions of the USA.

This idea that climate may be one reason that the love of iced teas popped up when I read that originally, the colonialists continued the British habit of warm cocktails, but quickly started to drink cooler, often shaved ice drinks. The only reason I could think for this change was, unlike England, the East Coast of the USA was hotter and muggier. In that climate, who wanted a hot drink when a cold drink was an option?

Refrigeration

The second explanation had to do with refrigeration, a storage process that changed so much of this country. The icebox, an early version of a refrigerator, was invented by an American farmer Thomas Moore in 1802. His invention allowed him to get his butter to market in solid brick form, rather than as a melted mess like the other farmers. Key to his invention were large blocks of ice, which were easy to come by in New England as lakes iced over in the winter months.

• Epicurious wrote about the ice habit that swept through the East coast: Giant blocks of ice were shaved for juleps, “lumped” for cocktails, and crushed for icy, booze-heavy “cobblers.” Ice also helped boost production of lager beer—a style which is fermented, conditioned, and typically served at lower temperatures—that was growing more popular thanks to an expanding German immigrant population.

Now, harvesting ice was not new, nor was using ice, but what everyone seemed to imply was that the newly identified USA seemed to get addicted to having ice, and it became a solid part of everyday Spring and Summer drinks. This was solidified when ice boxes became a kitchen appliance in many homes (between 1910 to 1920), and the next invention of importance to this part of the story was in 1933 with the invention of flexible metal ice trays.

Prohibition

Before the ice tray however, politics intervened and prohibition of alcohol was set in place. It lasted from 1920 to 1933, and prevented USA workers from enjoying their cold German beers at the end of a hot day. As a result, iced tea became the alternative drink that everyone turned to in order to cool off. GoodLifeTea wrote, this may explain why places where the temperance movement was strongest, which is to say, the deep south, is much more attached to iced tea than more northern states.

So in summary, I think the USA drinks iced tea because of the trifecta of geography and climate, and the invention of the ice box. It also might be one of the ramifications of prohibition.

Just Some Facts

Now the USA is a country that consumes vast amounts of iced tea, more so than hot tea (3). In fact, ~80% of the tea served in the USA today is iced tea, which translates into well over 55 billion servings a year (4).

• The European invented the “tea-spoon” in order to more easily add the proper amount of loose tea leaves to ones pot, and then sugar to cups of tea (~1686). But iced tea’s popularity in the USA lead to the refined “iced tea spoon” that had a long handle, suitable for stirring sugar in the tall glasses (5).
• Iced tea became generally popular after Richard Blechynden (India Tea Commission) offered free samples to the massive number of attendees to the extremely hot and muggy 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair.
• Aside from America, Canada, and Thailand, the majority of the world drinks it’s tea hot (6).
• Tea consumption by country reveal that 159M people in the US drink tea every single day, and up to 85% of that tea is served cold (6a).

—**—

USA Iced Tea Drinks

Black Iced Tea (USA)

I make regular Black Iced Tea in two veins, one is Orange Pekoe and the other is using Earl Grey.

Orange Pekoe tea is an older colonial tea grading style that Indian, Sri Lankan, and other tea leaves can attain; and refers to black teas that have been graded to a “high standard of excellence”. While no one seems to know where the name “orange pekoe” comes from, or what it is supposed to represent, the label is considered to be indicative of quality tea (7), not a flavor or style of processing (8).

• Orange Pekoe leaves must be whole leaves of a certain size, and fully intact.
• The leaves must come from the newest and freshest flush of leaves.
• And retains the silvery-white downy “hairs”, indicative of the leaves being picked in the prime of the season.

To make regular black iced tea, all you need is tea leaves and hot water (or put tea in room temperature water in the sun). The big question here is using loose leaf or tea bags.

• Regular Unsweetened Black Iced Tea
  • Bring 8C water to a boil
  • Add 3T of loose leaf black tea (Orange Pekoe, Earl Grey, or others)
  • Steep for ~4-6 minutes to achieve the strength you desire
  • Strain out the loose tea leaves with a sieve
  • Let the tea cool
  • Place into a pitcher and into the fridge
  • Add ice to a glass, pour and serve

Southern Sweet Iced Tea (USA)

FirstWeFeast wrote, tea originated in Asia, with tea drinking spreading eastward; sugary renditions of hot tea have long been popular in Great Britain, India, and Senegal. The southern genius was to add ice to this elixir. The first known published recipe was in 1878, although that recipe was a bit different. Later, starting in the mid-1940s after WWII ended, the markets opened up again and there was inexpensive black tea, sugar, modern refrigeration, and the invention of ice cube trays; Southern Sweet Iced Tea was on its way to becoming part of Southern Culture.

The classic, Southern-style, sweet tea is simply freshly brewed black tea, that is sweetened with white cane sugar while it is hot, then the drink is chilled until cold, and served over ice (9). The tea used in my first Southern Sweet Tea came from a large yellow box of Lipton orange pekoe tea. There were individually, paper wrapped black tea bags and several were used to make the tea concentrated.

• Southern Sweet Iced Tea
  • Boil 6C good water (spring water is best, distilled water tastes flat)
  • Pour the boiling water over the tea bags (14g) and 1/4t baking soda
  • Steep for up to ~15 minutes to a very dark color, and remove + gently squeeze tea bags
  • Add ~1/2C sugar to taste while the water is still warm and the sugar can dissolve properly
  • Add 1/4t of baking soda to combat the tannin bitterness and make the tea clear
  • Then put in a pitcher, then into the fridge to chill (it is not normally chilled with ice)
  • When cold, add ice to glass, pour, and serve

The art of this tea is in the brewing, it needs to not be so dark it looks like coffee and not so light it looks like dirty dishwater (it should not taste like that either!). It needs to be fresh each day that you make it so it attains the proper balance of color and sweetness (10), although if refrigerated it can last up to 48 hours but not too much longer.

Arnold Palmer (USA)

ArnoldPalmr tells the invention of this drink thusly: One day during the late 1960s, after a long day of designing a course in the Palm Springs area, Arnold Palmer was ordering lunch and asked the waitress for a mixture of lemonade and iced tea. A woman sitting nearby overheard what he ordered and told the waitress, “I’ll have that Arnold Palmer drink.” And the official ARNOLD PALMER® tea and lemonade beverage was born.

The complexity of this drink comes in two areas, the ratio of lemonade to iced tea and the sweetness of the lemonade. With a 2:1 tea to lemonade ratio, the tea flavor will be at the front; a 1:1 ratio will blend with the drink and the sugar may be fronted or the acidity of the citrus; a 1:2 will provide the color and caffeine of tea, but taste more like the lemonade.

• Arnold Palmer 2:1
  • 1/2C Iced tea
  • 1/4C Homemade sweetened lemonade
    • Heat 1-1/2C water and add 1/2C sugar, stir until sugar is disolved
    • Cool the water to room temperature (I put the water from the pot into a glass measuring cup which can take the heat)
    • Add 1/2C fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • Pour the lemonade first and the tea second to create split colors in the glass
  • Pour over ice in the glass

One alternative is to make the Winnie Palmer drink, named after Arnold Palmer’s first wife, which specifically uses sweet tea with the lemonade, instead of unsweetened iced tea.

But if you want a cocktail, the web says to just add 1oz of bourbon or sweet tea vodka to the glass, and top it with a small mint leaf. Other choices include adding a shot of Rum for a Dirty Palmer, or a shot of plain Vodka for a Dirty Arnie (11). I always drink my Arnold Palmer non-alcoholic, and like it that way.

Long Island Iced Tea (USA)

I have heard of this drink, but honestly have never had one. So this information comes strictly from others. Tennessee and New York fight over who invented this alcoholic drink (12), but this is not something that interests me. It was created in the early 1970s, an iced tea looking alcoholic drink that is potent. It features a mix of spirits, with cola for coloring, but no actual tea.

• Long Island Iced Tea Recipe a la Ransom Bishop (13)
  • Squeeze 1 fresh Lemon half + 1 fresh lime half into a pint glass
  • Add ½ oz. Rum
  • Add 1 oz. Vodka
  • Add 1 oz. Whiskey
  • Add ½ oz. Gin
  • Add ½ oz. Tequila
  • Add ½ oz. Maple Syrup
  • Mix Thoroughly
  • Then pour in 4 to 5 oz. Soda Water (Coca-Cola) without stirring

Global Iced Tea Drinks

Sun Tea or Refrigerator Tea

This is under Global Iced Teas because there is nothing I could find to indicate who invented this idea.

Essentially, Sun Tea, is created by putting tea in a large, lidded container with water and leaving it in the sun to brew for a couple of hours. The tea is smooth and tasty, but because it gets hot, but not hot enough to kill bacteria, it can be unsafe to drink. Especially if it seems thick and syrupy, or has strands appearing in it. So being generally unsafe, people changed to a different way of making Sun Tea.

Refrigerator Tea is made the same way, but instead of leaving out in the sun to brew, just leave it in the fridge to brew for the same length of time. This is a safer way to brew this type of iced tea.

Kombucha Cold Tea

According to tea drinking statistics (15), in the USA sparkling iced tea is ordered mainly by Gen Z and Millennials. This includes Kombucha, a fermented, lightly effervescent, sweetened black tea drink. Forbes wrote that Kombucha originated in Northeast China (historically referred to as Manchuria) around 220 B.C. and was initially prized for its healing properties. Its name is reportedly derived from Dr. Kombu, a Korean physician who brought the fermented tea to Japan as a curative for Emperor Inkyo.

Yes I have tasted this drink and can tolerate it in small doses, but I do not generally like fizzy drinks; and, truthfully, it is definitely an acquired taste. When I had it, while there was no ice in the glass, it was a cool and not a hot tea beverage.

I am not going to provide a recipe for this drink, as I have not made it and you need to know how to do it correctly. I recommend the TheKitchn website to start.

Thai Iced Tea (Thailand)

I can find no definitive story of how this drink originated, although HonestFoodTalks writes that the prevailing story is that a chef prepared this beverage to cater to a leader’s taste for food with a western twist. This may be true, but TheForkedSpoon wrote that the Thai Iced Tea we know and love here in the United States is not traditional Thai iced tea. In fact, tea, overall, is a relatively new concept believed to have been brought over to Thailand sometime in the 1980s from China. Created some…years ago, traditional versions consisted of black tea, condensed milk, and crushed ice.

The big thing about Thai tea is that it is orange looking, even if the tea is black, and all indications are this is often a food dye, and only occasionally is it caused by a spice added for color. HonestFoodTalks explains why Thai tea is orange: The palace chefs used to brew the tea leaves for the king. After that, they used the same leaves again so that the domestic staff could have their fill. Since reused leaves lack aroma and flavour, they added spices to the drink. These include herbs such as turmeric and tamarind. These spices naturally tend to turn drinks orange. True or not, it certainly sounds plausible. But importantly, this means unless you add the dye or coloring spice the tea will be a regular black tea color.

Finally, some like FoodAndWine, explain that while this Iced Tea is a big deal to us Americans, it is not a critical or particularly Thai drink that matters culturally. It is just part of the street stall cuisine. However, there is a change happening, since tourists are coming to Thailand, restaurants are making their Thai Iced Tea more like how Americans expect it to be rather than their simpler drink.

• Thai Iced Tea
  • Brew 4C water with 2-1/2t black loose leaf tea
  • Add 1 whole star anise
  • Add 2 lightly crushed pods green cardamom
  • Add 1 piece cinnamon stick
  • Add a bit of vanilla bean
  • Cooking the mix for ~5-10 minutes depending upon your preferences
  • Cool and strain, pour over ice to half fill the glass
  • Add 1T sugar and stir in
  • Then add 1/4C sweetened condensed milk (use half-n-half for less sweet)
  • Top with 2T evaporated milk

To make this vegan you can substitute coconut condensed milk and skip evaporated milk.

Masala Iced Chai (India)

This is a mixed spice tea from India, often served hot, it can be served cold as well. They boil black tea leaves in milk, and add aromatic herbs and spices. Chai is a strong flavored spiced tea that is also aromatically pungent. It has a very rich flavor, but what the flavor is varies depending on the ingredients used. 

There are standard spices used in Masala Chai: black tea plus cardamom, ginger, black pepper peppercorns, clove, and cinnamon. But many chais also add: star anise, ground nutmeg, or coriander seeds.  Rather than making your own mix of various herbs and spices, it is possible to buy Masala Chai tea bags that contain all the ingredients premixed.

• Premixed Masala Iced Chai
  • Boil 4C water and add 8 chai tea bags, turn off heat, and steep for ~5-8 minutes
  • Remove the teabags
  • Stir in 1C whole milk (or coconut milk)
  • Sweeten with 1/3C raw honey
  • Chill in the fridge for ~1 hour
  • Then pour over ice cubes

So while above is the easy recipe, below is what it looks like from scratch, from SenchaTeaBar.

• Homemade Masala Iced Chai
  • In a grinder grind
    • 2 cinnamon sticks
    • 4 black peppercorns
    • 8 cardamom pods or seeds
    • 8 cloves
  • Add ground spices and a slice of fresh ginger to to saucepan with 2C water, bring to a boil
  • Remove from heat and add 4 black tea bags, and steep 5-10 minutes
  • Remove teabags and add 2C cold milk and mix, then place in fridge to chill
  • Once cool, pour over a glass with ice
  • Add sugar to the glass

Herbal or Fruit Iced Teas

There are innumerable herb or fruit combinations people make for an iced tea combination. You can mix these with actual tea, or make it without tea and just add the herbs, spices, or fruit to water. But I am going to save those for another post.

Happy drinking,

—Patty

—**—