Iced Tea

May 29, 2003 6:32 AM

Richard Blechynden's invention from the 1904 World's Fair is the quintessential summer drink. Not only is it good for you, it can also come in a multitude of flavors, or even with a little kick to it.
posted by debralee (9 comments total)

Nope, this is the quintessential summer drink. and spring. and winter. and fall.
posted by jonmc at 6:41 AM on May 29, 2003

And here's a vote for lemonade. Ic3d T33 SUXORZ!!!!!11!!
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 6:47 AM on May 29, 2003

As an Englishman I love my tea, but summer was made for Gin & Tonic.
posted by Monk at 7:02 AM on May 29, 2003

miguel's mint julep (tm)
posted by Marquis at 7:56 AM on May 29, 2003

Really good summer beverage:

Get some Celestial Seasonings Wild Berry Zinger herbal tea. Boil up about a half quart of water. Steep two teabags in the water with some sugar (maybe 3-4 Tbsp depending on your taste). When it's well steeped, add another quart and a half of cold water, and stick it in the fridge.

Yummy.
posted by rusty at 8:10 AM on May 29, 2003

Um, did you read your first link before posting it? The whole point of it was that iced tea wasn't invented at the World's Fair, having been familiar years before:

This article was published fourteen years before the World's Fair. It also seems notable that the article is written in a style that infers that the newspaper assumed its readers knew what iced tea was.  There can be no doubt that this clipping proves that iced tea was not "invented" at the St. Louis World's Fair and its inference is that iced tea had been around prior to 1890.   This causes one to wonder if one of the St. Louis delegates remembered this drink and "re-invented" it at the fair.  Or maybe the 1904 iced tea invention was just one of the many myths surrounding the World's Fair.

However, iced tea is definitely a Good Thing.
posted by languagehat at 8:16 AM on May 29, 2003

I was offered Ice Tea by a Jamacan friend of my father's once. I imagined all sorts of amazing things. When it arrived it was a mug of hot tea with three icecubes in it. It even had milk in it...

I drank a Winter Drink
I drank a Summer Drink

I drank a German Drink
I drank an English Drink

I drank a Short Drink
I drank a Long Drink

I drank a Very Sweet Drink
I puked.
posted by twine42 at 8:40 AM on May 29, 2003

Ice Tea Recipe:

3L water
4 Orange Pekeo tea bags
one lemon
about 1/2 to 3/4c sugar
a sprig of mint (optional)

Toss tea into water, bring to boil, turn off heat, let it steep for a good while. Scoop out teabags, slice lemon thinly, toss into tea along with the sugar. The tea will become far less dark; the lemon juice reacts with the tannins, getting rid of bitterness. Toss sprig of mint in if you like that sort of thing. Add concentrated lemon juice if you like tart tea. Refrigerate.

It's very simple and very good.
posted by five fresh fish at 8:57 AM on May 29, 2003

Um, did you read your first link before posting it?

Yes, I did read my first link, and yes, I did see that there has been some deliberation over when iced tea actually made its appearance. Richard Blechynden is generally credited with its invention, even though there has been some evidence brought forward that the drink was around long before the 1904 World's Fair. I suppose it's like saying that Columbus discovered America. ;-)
posted by debralee at 10:16 AM on May 29, 2003