Ice tea is not such a popular drink in Western Europe but it is huge in the USA especially the Southern States. Back in 1904, Americans mostly drank green tea from China. At the St. Louis World's Fair, an Englishman by the name of Richard Blechynden was trying to introduce Americans to the new India and Ceylon black tea. It so happened that there was a heat wave going on at the time and queues were not forming to try this steamy hot beverage. After a few days of frustration, he tried adding ice to the tea in order to entice people to try it. It was the hit of the fair and a new way of drinking tea had instantly taken hold!

There are two traditional iced teas in the United States. The only variation between them is sugar. Southerners swear by their traditional sweet ice tea and drink it by the gallons. In the South, ice tea is not just a summertime drink, it is served year round with most meals. When people order tea in a Southern restaurant, chances are they will get sweet ice tea. Outside of the southern states, iced tea is served unsweetened or “black,” and most people have never even heard of sweet tea.

Ice Tea - Make Your Own::

Making Ice Tea is very simple. To make simply make a pot of tea in the normal way using your favourite tea and freshly boiled water. After about 5 minutes drain the tea liquid into a jug and add cold water to dilute the taste to your preference. Let cool. At this stage you can add sugar to taste or even add your favourite fruit juice. Then pour over ice into a long glass. Garnish with a slice of lemon or some fresh mint leaves. It's really that simple and very enjoyable on a hot day.