Celebrate Iced Tea Day Every June 10

• By NSC
• 3 Comments.

 

 

Just as summer is gearing up to deliver plentiful sunshine and scorching days comes Iced Tea Day. A day to celebrate that quintessential summer drink.

Of course iced tea is a fantastic thirst quencher any day of the year, not just during the summer. But lazy summer days lounging in the yard or on the porch, sipping iced tea just define summer.

At least in our imaginations, if not in reality.

But try to make it reality for one day—or a few hours. Relax and sip a tall, cold glass of your favorite iced tea.

 

Health Benefits of Iced Tea

Tea isn’t just refreshing, it’s also good for you (iced or hot).

People have believed in the medicinal value of tea since ancient times. But more recently research has proved them right.

(Maybe not in every belief, but enough.)

Among other things, tea can help:

• Lower your risk for some cancers.
• Keep your heart healthy.
• Soothe a sore throat (usually hot and usually with honey).

 

But even without these benefits, it just tastes good. So enjoy a glass or two.

But like most things, it is possible to have too much of a good thing. This poor man gave himself kidney failure from drinking 16 glasses of iced tea daily. In other words, a gallon or so. Every day.

So like we said: Enjoy a glass or two. But not a gallon or two.

 

Who Invented Iced Tea

Hot tea has been around for centuries. And no doubt it sometimes got cold before the drinkers finished it.

But whose idea was it to deliberately chill it before drinking?

A lot of sources cite Richard Blechynden at the 1904 World’s Fair as the “inventor” of iced tea. As the story goes, he was trying to give away samples of hot tea, but the day was too warm. Nobody was interested. So he added ice cubes and the drink became a “hit.”

However, other evidence shows iced tea had been around for more than a decade before the Fair.

Lyndon Irwin, of Missouri State University, found and posted a clipping from the September 28, 1890 Nevada Noticer (a newspaper in Nevada, Missouri). The story is about a reunion of Confederate soldiers at which 880 gallons of iced tea was served. As Mr. Irwin points out, this was 14 years before the 1904 World’s Fair.

In case Mr. Irwin’s site ever goes down, here’s the text of the relevant part of that story:

“The following figures will convey some idea of the amount of provision used at Camp Jackson during the recent encampment. There were 4,800 pounds of bread, 11,705 pounds of beef, 407 pounds of ham, 21 sheep, 600 pounds of sugar, 6 bushels of beans, 60 gallons of pickles, and a wagon load of potatoes. It was all washed down with 2,220 gallons of coffee and 880 gallons of iced tea. The committee expended $3,000, a little in excess of the amount subscribed, for the entertainment of the old soldiers.”

Additional mentions of iced tea in the years before the 1904 World’s Fair include a sweet tea recipe in a community cookbook from 1879 and sales of the drink at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair (Columbian Exposition).

That said, Mr. Blechynden probably did serve iced tea in 1904, and it’s possible that the Fair that year led to increased popularity of the drink. But he didn’t invent it.

Not only is it unclear who invented iced tea, it’s also unclear who created Iced Tea Day.

But that’s no reason not to celebrate!

Scroll down for some ideas on celebrating this refreshingly unofficial holiday.

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How to Celebrate Iced Tea Day

Brew up or mix up a pitcher of iced tea for the day. Enjoy it alone or with friends.

Use your favorite tea leaves, or your favorite iced tea mix. Purists would probably prefer you use real tea leaves, but we won’t tell if you find a mix easier. ;)

Or you could use an iced tea maker! Make real iced tea almost as easily as using a mix.

You can also buy cans or bottle of iced tea. But we don’t much care for that stuff. It never seems to taste quite right. If you feel differently, we won’t judge.

Make real Southern sweet tea or add a flavored syrup to make the drink your own. Raspberry’s our favorite, but you might prefer peach, cherry, passion fruit or other flavors. You could also use real fruit instead of syrup. A simple squeeze of lemon is also always good, just like in hot tea.

If you don’t already have a favorite, consider trying one of these recipes:

• Southern Sweet Tea
• Citrus Sweet Tea
• Blackberry Sweet Tea
• Strawberry Lemonade Tea
• Raspberry Rosehip Iced Tea
• Maint-Ginger Iced Tea
• Hibiscus Mint Iced Tea

 

If you’re looking for an iced tea with a bit more kick, try one of these:

• Long Island Iced Tea
• Spiked ginger iced tea
• Georgia spiced tea

 

Don’t forget your iced tea spoon! (completely unnecessary if you’re drinking sweet tea).

What’s your preferred iced tea?

 

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