Sweet Tea

Sweet tea is a popular drink in the south. Its served everywhere, from fast food places like McDonald's to Cook-outs. You can't go to a house down here without finding a jug of Sweet Tea in the fridge. But what's so special about it you ask? Isn't sweet tea the same as ice tea with some sugar?

No. Its not. And there are 2 reasons why. First, the ingredients and secondly, how its made.

Orange pekoe tea,
Real sugar (any other sweetener gives it a strange taste),
Baking soda (cuts out the sourness of the strong tea brew)
Spring water (Water with high amounts of chlorine makes a bad tea)

Most of the tap water in the south comes from springs. Its humid in the south and the ground is saturated, so springs are everywhere. I myself have a well connected to my house which supplies us with fresh spring water.

1.) Boil 4 cups of water
2.) Add 2 big tea bags of pekoe tea (most people use luzianne tea, a tea who's soul purpose is to make sweet tea)
3.) Let it steep for a good 12 minutes.
4. Add 2 cups of sugar and a dash of baking soda and dissolve it into the tea.
5.) Pour the tea into a jug, I use old juice jugs but pitchers work too. Add water to the tea to fill it up the rest of the way.
6.) Refrigerate the tea and when its ready to be served filled a glass up half way with ice and then add the tea. Garnish with a lemon.