On June 10th of each year, we celebrate Iced Tea Day.
Iced tea is too pure and natural a creation not to have been invented as soon as tea, ice, and hot weather crossed paths.
John Egerton
Drinks are such a key part of modern culture that they are so much than just a necessity for the body. We drink water to survive, we drink coffee to stay alert, we sip cocktails to feel refreshed and get in the mood, and we drink soda to relax and unwind. Different drinks feed into different moods and give us new and unique experiences that play a big role in our lives, both socially and at home. So, it is important to make sure you sample as many different beverages as you can.
When it comes to quenching thirst and being refreshed on a hot summer’s day, there are a lot of things you can choose from. Many will crack open a beer or a bottle of wine, but how about sampling some gorgeous iced tea. There are a lot of things you need to keep in mind when it comes to trying this delicious beverage. In fact, there is even an Iced Tea Day, solely dedicated to the discovery and enjoyment of all things iced tea related; try to ensure you make the most of this as much as you can right now.
On a hot summer day, there’s nothing that quenches the thirst and fosters relaxation quite as much as a frosty cold glass of iced tea. While hot tea is delicious and certainly an excellent beverage for most situations, it’s purely inappropriate for picnics, and it only stays hot so long. Instead, it is necessary to branch out to the more versatile and refreshing alternatives. Sweet tea is one of the most popular beverages in the deep South, but it’s just one example of the variety that can be iced tea.
While recipes for Iced Tea go back as far as the 1870s, it wasn’t until 1904 that it exploded in popularity. This was due in no small part to the World’s Fair and the heat of the summer that was baking it. Iced Tea was being served, and the fairgoers were drinking it en masse, and in almost no time at all, it was being served in tall glasses so well known for this purpose that they were called iced-tea glasses. You know a drink has truly come into its own when special utensils are made for its preparation, and it wasn’t just the glasses, iced-tea spoons, and lemon forks were developed to make its consumption both easier and more satisfying.
Iced Tea is typically made from the tea plant, but just like with hot teas, it can be made with just about anything, and herbal teas are often a popular choice for the cool drink. Imagine the parade of flavors available to you, a cool mint tea stirred with a bit of lime, or if you’re in India you may as well do as the locals do and enjoy your tea with a bit of ginger. Our personal favorite? Peach Iced Tea, it’s delightful.
Iced Tea Day exists to pay homage to the popular and delicious beverage, and it’s something more of us should get involved with. This is a drink that is growing in popularity, and there is a growing consumer base for it, both in the United States and abroad. This is why manufacturers continue to come up with different and interesting flavors of iced tea that you can choose from moving forward.
