Sipping into Summer

When June finally brings along summer, sunshine way to cool off than with a frosty glass of sweet iced tea. June is National Iced Tea Month, and brewing up a pitcher of this classic iced drink is the perfect way to kick off your summer. Sweetened or unsweetened (yikes), black or fruity or herbal, iced tea is a summertime staple enjoyed in backyards and patios all across the country.

A Brief History of Iced Tea

Although tea itself goes back thousands of years, iced tea is actually quite modern. As early as the 19th century there are references to ‘chilled tea.’ However, the drink didn’t become a public phenomenon until the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904. As the story goes, Richard Blechynden, a tea plantation owner, was unsuccessfully trying to market hot tea during a brutally hot summer. In a spur of the moment, he dumped the brewed tea over ice and created a brand new drink, unknowingly making history.

The drink became an immediate favorite, and soon iced tea was being served in homes and restaurants everywhere.

The Rise of Sweet Tea

Sweet tea became popular in the American South during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The earliest known recipe for sweet iced tea appeared in the 1879 cookbook “Housekeeping in Old Virginia” by Marion Cabell Tyree. However, the recipe called for green tea, which was more common before black tea became the standard.

By the early 20th century, black tea had replaced green tea — imports of black tea from India and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) after World War I disrupted the supply of Chinese green tea. So sweet tea became firmly rooted in Southern culture by the mid-1900s and remains a regional classic today, often served as the go-to drink at home and in restaurants across the South.

If you want to join in on National Iced Tea Month, try the classic iced tea recipe on this page.

Whether you prefer classic sweet iced tea or a modern twist, National Iced Tea Month is the perfect excuse to sip and savor the simple pleasures of summer!

Classic Iced Tea

Ingredients

• 4 black tea bags or loose leaf tea

• 4 cups boiling water

• 1/4 cup honey or sugar (optional but not really)

• Juice of 1 lemon (if you want lemon tea)

• Ice cubes

• Lemon slices for garnish

Instructions

1. Steep tea bags in boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove bags and stir in sweetener if desired. For sun tea, use cold water and leave glass jar in direct sunlight for 2–4 hours, then stir in sweetener.

2. Let tea cool, then add lemon juice

3. (optional) Pour over ice and garnish with lemon slices.