A Brief History and Recipe for Southern Sweet Tea

Is there anything more summer or southern than an ice cold glass of sweet tea? Sweet tea is the quintessential beverage of the south and is sweet enough to make any southern belle swoon. Thesimple combination of brewed tea and sugar is what you will find in this Souther Sweet Tea recipe. It has the perfect amount of sweetness for a quick afternoon pick me up after working in the garden and pairs well with relaxing on the porch swing.

Becoming the Drink of the South

Tea has been around for quite some time (first grown in South Carolina in the late 18th century), and has been an essential part of many cultures for centuries. We first saw Green Tea used in sweet tea recipes, but the green tea was eventually overthrown and replaced by the cheaper Black Tea. However, the sweet tea we know today didn’t see its rise in popularity until prohibition in the South. The drink, always served cold over ice never cooled by ice, replaced the stiff drink that many would have otherwise enjoyed. Prior to prohibition, the southern elixir of life was used as a mixer for stouter liquids. So it was a no brainer to move to first place to fill those tumblers when the alcohol went underground.

Since then, the beverage has engrained itself so deeply into southern culture that it is hard to imagine the South ever being separate from its beloved brew. It is as southern as a front porch swing or momma’s cornbread! Today it is sacrilege for a southern restaurant to not offer sweet tea on the menu where it is simply called tea. You will have to ask specifically for anything sans sugar and will likely get a sideways look or two. So just how do you get that perfect brew?

Sweet Tea Brewing Methods

There are two methods for making sweet tea in my book. You have the boiled water method or you have the sun tea method. Both result in a deliciously sweet and thirst quenching beverage, but boiling your water may be the safer option if you are not going to drink that full pitcher in one day. To be completely honest with you though, I prefer Sun Tea.

What is Sun Tea??

Sun Tea harnesses the power of the sun to steep your delicious brew. This means no boiling water in an already hot kitchen just to get a cold glass of tea. Sun tea has a little bit more mellow tea flavor in my opinion and requires a little less sugar to get that perfect sweet tea balance that my family loves. It is a good old fashioned tradition that is one my family loves to consume.

However, brewing sun tea can allow bacteria to grow within your tea. Start with a sterilized jar to give your tea a safe place to brew. Your tea should brew no more than three to four hours in the sun, I typically give it about two hours on a hot day. Consume your sweet delectable brew the same day.

5 Facts about Sweet Tea

1. Regardless of how you brew in, with the sun or a stove, there is only one right way to make tea and it all has to do with when you put the sugar in. Many a southern housewife would shake their head if you ever tried to add sugar into an already cold brew. So make sure that the sugar is added when the steeped tea is still hot.
2. In 2003, Sweet Tea become law in South Carolina, requiring restaurants to offer the beverage, now known as the states Official Hospitality Beverage.
3. Marion Campbell Tyree is credited with the first published iced tea recipe in 1877 which appeared in Housekeeping in Old Virginia Magazine.
4. Sweet Tea is traditionally stored in the refrigerator and served over ice. Never would ice be used to cool the drink as it waters the drink down.
5. Southern Sweet Tea is also traditionally made stronger due to the fact that as you sip, your ice will melt making the drink weaker.

Traditional Sweet Tea Recipe

You will need only three simple ingredients for one gallon of deliciousness!

• Water
• 1 cup of Sugar
• 3 Family Size Tea Bags (we prefer Lipton at our home)

Bring about 4 cups of water to a boil. Remove from heat and add tea bags. Allow the tea to steep for 15 minutes, then remove the bags, squeezing them out. Transfer the hot liquid to your pitcher and add sugar stirring until dissolved. Top off with cool water to make one gallon and chill in the fridge. Serve over ice once cooled and with lemon wedges if desired. Enjoy!

Do you have any other favorite drink recipes? We would love to hear your stance on Sweet Tea verses Unsweet below in the comments! Also don’t forget to follow us on Pinterest and Instagram for more recipes and homestead happenings!

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