Sweet tea—iced, of course—is eau de vie throughout the South. It quenches thirst, replenishes verve and vitality, tamps down tongue fires created by hot chicken and barbecue and stimulates the appetite for more. It is best drunk from a tall, wide-mouth glass with clear fresh ice cubes or heaps of crushed ice. Lots and lots of ice, always lots of ice. And, of course, a big pitcher for refills, as needed. If you wish, you can be fancy and squeeze a little lemon in it or add a sprig of mint, but really, any addition is gilding the lily. Sweet tea should be perfect just the way it is served—no garnish necessary.
According to Louis Van Dyke, proprietor of the Blue Willow Inn of Social Circle, Georgia (where sweet tea is called “the champagne of the South”), “Grandmothers and mothers of the old South serve sweetened iced tea at every meal. In the old South, children were never allowed to drink iced tea until they were twelve years old. They drank milk, water, or lemonade. Soft drinks were never allowed at the dinner table.”
Sweet Tea
One important rule for making sweet tea, according to Louis Van Dyke of the Blue Willow Inn, where this recipe comes from, is to use regular supermarket tea, not fancy gourmet tea. Another rule is to make it sweeter than you think it should be. Indeed, the motto at the Blue Willow is to serve tea “strong and just a little too sweet.”
1 gallon water
4–5 family-size tea bags (each one is enough for a quart of tea)
3 cups sugar, at least
Lemon slices to garnish (optional)
Sprig of mint (optional)
Bring the water to a boil in a 1½ gallon saucepan. Turn off the heat and add the tea bags. Cover and steep 12–15 minutes. For stronger tea, let it steep longer, up to 20 minutes. Add the sugar, stirring vigorously until dissolved. Allow tea to cool and pour over ice. Garnish with lemon and mint, if using.
16 CUPS, ENOUGH FOR 4–6 DINERS