--John Egerton
Today is National Iced Tea Day, a holiday I fully embrace. Every day, year round, I drink unsweetened iced tea. I'll drink iced green tea, black, tea, white tea, flavored teas, and more. It's simple, refreshing, and only has about 2 calories.
Iced tea was invented in the U.S., likely sometime during the 1800s in the South. There is a legend that iced tea was created in 1904, during the World's Fair in St. Louis, Missouri, by an Englishman Richard Blechynden. However, there is clear evidence iced tea existed before 1904, so Richard may be considered more the popularizer of iced tea rather than the actual inventor.
After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world. But, in the U.S., tea occupies the sixth position, after water, soda, coffee, beer, and milk. About 50% of Americans drink tea daily but not as many cups each day as coffee. The greatest number of tea drinkers are located in the South and Northeast regions.
According to the Tea Association of the USA, "In 2019, Americans consumed over 84 billion servings of tea, or more than 3.8 billion gallons. About 84% of all tea consumed was black tea, 15% was green Tea, and the small remaining amount was oolong, white and dark tea." And who is drinking this tea? "Approximately four in five consumers drink tea, with Millennials being the most likely (87% of millennials drink tea)."
A fascinating fact is that approximately 85% of the tea consumed in America is iced. That certainly shows the vast popularity of iced tea, which in its sweetened version is a staple in the South. Despite this popularity, iced tea can be difficult to find in restaurants during the winter months, though those same spots offer still have iced coffee available. Iced tea should be a year round drink, and not just a summer special.
Do you enjoy iced tea? If so, do you prefer it sweetened or unsweetened? Have you used iced tea in cocktails?
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