America’s Iced Tea

Many people say there’s nothing more American than apple pie. However there is another sweet treat that’s one hundred percent red, white, and blue.

From coast to coast, Americans are wild about iced tea. What many don’t realize is that although it’s based on an Asian brew, iced tea is an American innovation.

Iced tea’s popularity can be traced to the heat wave of 1904 when tea merchant Richard Blechynden decided to serve tea over ice at an exposition in St. Louis. Americans have since perfected different methods of making iced tea, along with several innovate recipes.

Black teas from Ceylon, China and Java are most commonly used to make iced tea. Flavored teas such as lemon green tea, peach black tea, Formosa oolong, or Japanese sencha may also be used.

While some prefer their chilly brew without sugar, iced tea can also be taken sweet. Superfine baking sugar or bartender’s sugar should be used to sweeten the flavour. Other options including preparing sugar syrup on the stove using a 1:1 water and sugar and simmering the mixture for a few minutes. The sugar syrup will keep in the refrigerator for up to two...