Iced Tea drinkers?

[bassbrad]

Curious as to your preferences and customs. Iced tea is the "table wine" in most Texas and many Southern houses, perhaps your's where ever you be. In my house growing up making tea was all a part of fixing dinner each night, we had a special 2 quart sauce pan specifically for making tea top which 4 tea bags would be boiled and steeped. That was added to a pitcher with 3/4 cups of sugar and viola.

I have grown quite particular in my tea preference seeking more flavor by adding a bay leaf and Hibiscus Herb bag to the normal family size black tea bag. After steeping for at least an hour I add some saccharine pellets and 1/3 cup of sugar and occasionally a teaspoon of honey (if some that has crystalized). When serving I like to add mint leaves, lemon, lime, sugar free Huckleberry or Raspberry syrup to give my tongue something different. I've been known to add some whiskey, corn liquor, Bourbon or Rum on occasion and like to have iced tea as a chaser when doing shots. YMMV.

I usually just drink water when dining out since so many places can't seem to get it right any more and why pay for something that makes me angry or outright gag. I can tell if it is instant, not steeped properly, steeped too long or made the day(s) before and allowed to fester in the tea maker instead of being refrigerated. Gross.

I am equally as particular, perhaps more so, when it comes to coffee but that is a different story. Coffee is for breakfast, mornings or fancy dessert, not an all day drink to me.

FWIW this is my first poll in a long time so please be gentle as this is really just for fun.

 

[JC BASS 91]

Normally unsweetened. However, if the place has it, a raspberry, peach or mango tea are pretty nice.

 

[DCErik]

Every 3 days or so I make a bit pot of green tea and toss in a can of frozen, concentrated lemonade and a shot of grenadine. Used to alternate with Ocean Spray cranberry/raspberry, but it seems to have vanished. All juice concentrates seem to be harder to find lately, so guessing it's an Old Person thing that will eventually vanish all together.

 

[UntitledProject]

Unsweetened black tea steeped for a day in the sun (or overnight in the fridge as weather permits). No hot/boiling water and no sweetener or syrups. Serve it over ice.

 

[sleddogn]

I have a yeti 1/2 gallon container, rambler maybe it's called. I take it to work everyday with unsweetened iced tea, and it's always empty before getting home, lol

 

[turf3]

I am a native Texan and yet I like my tea without sugar. This is sometimes tricky, for example if you go to a church picnic, the chance that there'll be a jug unsweetened is very small.

Actually, I like everything without sugar except candy and dessert. So, no sugar in coffee, and NO SUGAR IN CORN BREAD!

 

[gln1955]

I've been known to spew sweet tea when I'm expecting normal unsweetened tea.

 

[buldog5151bass]

I brew my own tea, then add about 1/3 Paul Newman lemonade.

 

[SoonerBill]

I'm not a big tea drinker. But when I saw the thread it reminded me of a guy at a place my wife and I go often. He drinks unsweet tea and Fireball. I don't even want to think about trying that!

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Curious as to your preferences and customs. Iced tea is the "table wine" in most Texas and many Southern houses, perhaps your's where ever you be. In my house growing up making tea was all a part of fixing dinner each night, we had a special 2 quart sauce pan specifically for making tea top which 4 tea bags would be boiled and steeped. That was added to a pitcher with 3/4 cups of sugar and viola.

I have grown quite particular in my tea preference seeking more flavor by adding a bay leaf and Hibiscus Herb bag to the normal family size black tea bag. After steeping for at least an hour I add some saccharine pellets and 1/3 cup of sugar and occasionally a teaspoon of honey (if some that has crystalized). When serving I like to add mint leaves, lemon, lime, sugar free Huckleberry or Raspberry syrup to give my tongue something different. I've been known to add some whiskey, corn liquor, Bourbon or Rum on occasion and like to have iced tea as a chaser when doing shots. YMMV.

I usually just drink water when dining out since so many places can't seem to get it right any more and why pay for something that makes me angry or outright gag. I can tell if it is instant, not steeped properly, steeped too long or made the day(s) before and allowed to fester in the tea maker instead of being refrigerated. Gross.

I am equally as particular, perhaps more so, when it comes to coffee but that is a different story. Coffee is for breakfast, mornings or fancy dessert, not an all day drink to me.

FWIW this is my first poll in a long time so please be gentle as this is really just for fun.

My wife goes through iced tea by the gallon. She prefers it sweetened, but not the southern kind of sweet. She loves her Pure Leaf Raspberry, and for some reason, the local bottler stopped selling it in half gallon bottles in this neck of the woods. So she’s on strike as she want to by tea, not plastic. So she’s is buying Arizona Arnie Palmer now.

 

[Snibborwocky]

I voted Arnold Palmer because I can never pass one of those up honestly, "standard" sweet tea is just too sweet for me, pure unsweetened is basically swamp water for my taste, and unsweetened w/ putting my own amount of sugar in is probably the most realistic way I have iced tea.

 

[Wasnex]

Half sweet with a twist or two of lime. The waitresses where I order tea almost always forget or neglect to bring me the lime. It's the difference between a $4 and $5 tip.


One waitress made it with half lemonade, which tasted funny to me .

 

[sears]

@bassbrad bay leaf, eh? As it happens I was just brewing some hot chamomile, so I added one, thanks!

As for me, iced Rooibos, no sugar. Actual tea doesn't agree with me and I'm done with caffeine.

 

[poochiecheeks]

Unsweet tea is like crack. Wawa has it but the bottles are tiny and like $3.50 each, I need to learn how to make it properly at home

 

[skier 913]

Would you play a gig at a club that offered you 10% of the door and all the ice tea the band can drink?

 

[ctmullins]

Unsweet tea is like crack. Wawa has it but the bottles are tiny and like $3.50 each, I need to learn how to make it properly at home

Really? Hot water and tea bags, walk away for 30 minutes. Just go for it man!

 

[pbass2]

Sun tea made with PG Tips, over ice.

 

[scuzzy]

Since my high school trip to Argentina, I prefer Yerba Maté over tea. But if I must, sweetened.

Coffee is still king

 

[jmlee]

Unsweet tea is like crack. Wawa has it but the bottles are tiny and like $3.50 each, I need to learn how to make it properly at home

Do it all the time. Make a pot of good black tea (e.g. Twining’s English Breakfast), remove the tea bags at 5 min, let it cool for a bit, then pour it into a tall pitcher with lots of ice cubes. Add a lemon cut into 1/4” slices and the seeds picked out. Put the pitcher in the fridge, letting some/all of the ice melt and the lemon perfuse. After about an hour, take the lemon slices out—otherwise they can overpower the tea in a bad way. Thoroughly chill the tea and serve over fresh ice. Lovely!

P.S. I’m Canadian so hot tea making is a life skill. The secret to great unsweet ice tea is a really well-prepared pot of good tea as a starting point.

 

[poochiecheeks]

Really? Hot water and tea bags, walk away for 30 minutes. Just go for it man!

Do it all the time. Make a pot of good black tea (e.g. Twining’s English Breakfast), remove the tea bags at 5 min, let it cool for a bit, then pour it into a tall pitcher with lots of ice cubes. Add a lemon cut into 1/4” slices and the seeds picked out. Put the pitcher in the fridge, letting some/all of the ice melt and the lemon perfuse. After about an hour, take the lemon slices out—otherwise they can overpower the tea in a bad way. Thoroughly chill the tea and serve over fresh ice. Lovely!

Thank you. Ill have to try this