The Art of Sweet Tea

Sweet tea is common for us in the Southern United States, there is nothing more welcomed by a Southern man than a good cup of sweet tea. The south is known for making the best sweet tea recipe and the art of sweet tea has thrived in the south over centuries since it's introduction by the English.


To make a great glass of sweet tea, do remember these four principles:

- make it strong.

- make it sweet.

- Sugar doesn't dissolve in cold water.

- Brand matters! Do not make sweet tea with fancy tea bags - The best tea brands are Lipton and Tetley and a box can normally be bought for under a dollar.

If you stick by these rules, the rest should be easy.


To make the concentrated tea:

1. Boil a pot of water.

2. Add 4-6 Lipton or Tetley family sized tea bags to the boiling water and reduce the heat.

3. Let the tea bags steep for about 10 minutes.

4. Remove the tea bags, squeeze them out and discard.

5. Add at least 2 cups of sugar to the concentrated tea and stir until it is all dissolved.

6. Turn the heat off and allow the tea to cool for about 30 minutes.


Directions For making sweet tea:

1. Put ice in a pitcher until it is half full.

2. Add the sweet tea concentrate so that it gets to the halfway point of the pitcher.

3. Fill the rest of the pitcher with cold water.

4. Put in the fridge and allow it to get cold.


Down here in the deep South, sweet tea is the ultimate equalizer. You can be utterly broke or very rich, but when you enter a home in the South, you will most probably find that there is a pitcher of our beloved sweet tea in the refrigerator. It doesn't matter if it's served from a jug from Mrs. Palmer's or from a crystal decanter, it all tastes good and the same.