Someone had it with their lunch recently and I have to admit, it was really good. They said their grandfather used to drink it.
I found it to be really unusual but it was kind of yummy, I'll admit. lol

Wonder if I should serve it along with my lemonade.

Forgive an outsider's stupid question. Is this sweetened iced tea, hot tea or is sweet tea a special beverage?

thirsty

"Sweet Tea" is a strictly southern term that represents what us northerners (former or current) know as "Iced Tea."  However, there is one slight difference.  Sweet Tea here has so much sugar in it that it can be used to re-finish wood surfaces as a mild abrasive

"sweet tea" is different from "iced tea with sugar added" in that to be "sweet tea", you have to add the sugar while the tea is hot, which causes it to dissolve differently than when you add sugar after the tea is already cold

and of course, to be true southern sweet tea, you have to brew the tea in a glass jar sitting in the sun (aka "sun tea")

I'll never forget when I had sweet tea for the first time and I expected unsweet tea. I was a flight attendant and was having lunch with my flight crew in Charleston SC. I ordered a glass of tea and sweet tea arrived. Imagine the surprise when I had sweet brown syrup instead of iced tea! lol As they say "it only takes once" and I learned from then on to ask for unsweet tea.

Oddly enough the grandfather is from New York City so I'm not sure how he got to drinkin this stuff but it really was good, I promise!

I grew up on sun tea but it wasn't sweet. I love hearing about the differences of traditions and the way people grew up who love the little things like tea.

What are some of the things you did growing up or your family did that was just really good/fun?

We used to love having french toast on Sunday nights for dinner before church. Don't aske me why but it was sooo good! We all looked forward to it and we rarely missed it.

Brooke,

I grew up on sun tea as well...we had a special "jug" we would place on our back porch and leave it there hours....

another strange thing I grew up on was "snow cream"...it was actually ice cream made out of the snow....Okay, I know what you are thinking.....I grew up in the midwest!!!!  There was nothing esle to do there!!!  We would add sugar and vanilla to and eat it before it melted.... it was soooo good when I was a little girl!!

No wonder I moved to the south....

luv ya...

Re:Thanks y'all...I'm learning [end]

Personally, I enjoy Polish Coolers, a mix of Perrier and Water

Try half sweet tea and half grapefruit juice it's really good also half sweet tea and leonaid its' called an Arnold Palmer for some reason

I have to admit, my "southern exposure" has been limited to a few trips to Florida. Is sweet tea a common beverage in the south? Based on everyone's description, it' sounds like my teeth would hurt after a glass full. Is sweet tea as sweet as you've made it sound?

thirsty

Its called and Arnold Palmer and its pretty good as well!

Sweet tea is great with Sprite ( and it must be sprite my wifes aunt messed up on Sat and used 7up). It Sweettea also goes good with Lemonaid one and one. And sprite also goes well with OJ.

And by the by Sweettea has to have the sugar added during or right after the brew process. Long before it gets cool.
Happy Drinking and Safe Playing

I'd love to learn how to make a Mint Julep. I just bout some wicker furniture to be delivered and would love to sit out on the porch and drink one with my girlfriends....

I love having a Midwestern spirit and a Southern soul.

xoxo
B

Ah, great memories, that snow cream.  It may be the only redeeming value to living in the frost-belt.  I had completely forgotten all about it from my childhood, making ice cream from freshly fallen snowflakes.  

But as Frank Zappa wrote, "don't eat the yellow snow!"

atl_mgr

Never heard of that mix, but sweetea and lemonade is a pretty good combination.  A friend from Chicago also turned me onto mixing lemonade with Coke to take off a bit of the sweet edge - outstanding.

As far as mint juleps go, prepare to pucker.  I don't know how ladies can drink those things, although I'd bet they go down pretty easy after the first two or three.  And the drink might be easier to swallow, too!

atl_mgr


















-- Modified on 3/24/2004 6:21:28 PM

Florida may be south of Georgia but it is not Southern, unless you are jsut a few miles across the state line. When I was a younger man and learned there was more than tea (sweet tea) I was amazed that there was something different. As a teenager I spent 3 or 4 summers with an uncle who lived in Chicago, in a Mens club on Lakeshore Drive. I feel my addiction to ladies came from him. The first time I ordered tea I was shocked. It was not sweet and no amount of added sugar would make it right. It sugar is not added at the proper time it is not SWEET TEA.

That's right.  You have to sweeten it while the tea is still hot, but not too hot or you'll overdo it.  You can supersaturate the tea that way.  If you ice it before you sweeten it, then you'll never get it right.

And yes, Thirsty.  Sweet tea is that common in the south.  You're just as soon to have a glass of sweet tea in the summer as a glass of water.

As a Southerner who has had the misfortune to spend time in the North, I learned the same way as strike3 that not all tea is sweet.  Good Lord, how can you drink that bitter unsweetened tea?  It makes you thirstier!  Guess that explains your handle, Thirsty.  Come on down for a nice refreshing glass of sweet tea, and you can finally be Quenched.

Here what I have mixed with sweet tea before  Jack Daniel's and tea    I use to call it Jack &Tea

Brooke,the recipe you have found is an excellent one,the same way that I make my juleps. I highly reccomend Makers Mark Bourbon for juleps. Bourbon is the key ingredient in a julep and a lower quality whiskey will not be as smooth and tasty.

I consider YOU to be on the same level as Makers......smooth and tasty!     Trip

I think I'm definitely going to have to visit Atlanta soon.

thirsty

I decided to be lazy and went back to bed after getting my little one off to school this morning. When I closed my eyes, lo and behold, you were in my dream! I promise I'm not kidding. lol

I managed to call my Mom who owns an antique shop to see if she can search for some antique julep cups. Wouldn't that be fun?


I think the springtime bug has bitten me. Warm weather's cumming this week and Imma gonna be ready for it!

your "hashed browned" potaotes over our grits anytime.  Remember the joke about the Northerner who was in a Southern restaurant, saw grits listed on the menu and he asked the server "Whats a grit???"

If you ever get down this way, and you feel really brave, maybe you might like to try our old standard "RC (basically carbonated prune juice) and a moon pie."

It isn't any worse than something I ate once in Pa. that they called "Shoo-fly Pie".  It wouldn't scare any fly away - if they ever landed on it they probably couldn't get loose again.

A Mint Julep sounds okay, but SO does a cold beer in a chilled glass.

Some of those cups as well. Also,I will help you perfect your juleps if you need assistance,its a little tricky getting them just right sometimes.

I need to hear about your dream,perhaps I will call you tommorrow.........G