Stories That Started Us: Introducing The World To Iced Tea
Not many people can say that iced tea has changed their lives, but for us, it has. Though, if you would have asked people at the World Faire in 1904, they would have probably told you the same thing. All of that said, iced tea wasn't always as popular as it is today, so we wanted to take a moment to share a little of the origin story of our favorite drink- iced tea!
Iced tea became increasingly common in cookbooks after 1900, as black tea started to replace green tea due to its affordability. However, it was the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis that truly popularized and commercialized iced tea.
The hot weather at the fair led to the realization that hot drink were not the ideal choice for visitors. To provide a refreshing alternative, brewed tea was poured into large bottles, which were then placed upside down on stands. The tea was directed through iced lead pipes, resultin in a cold and refreshing beverage.
The availability of free iced tea delighted the public and significantly influenced the perception of tea, leading to the widespread popularity of iced tea in America.
Today, iced tea comes in countless variations and has become an integral part of American culture. It is estimated that Americans consume nearly fifty billion glasses of iced tea annually, with over 80% of all tea consumed in the United States being served over ice.
In so many regions of our country, asking for "tea" will invariably result in being served iced tea throughout the year. This once-novel concept has evolved into one of the most popular beverages globally and can be found in various forms on every continent.
We love tea, iced, hot, whatever way it comes. Though, being we are a tea company in the south, the tea down here tends to lean a little...(who are we kidding?) a LOT towards it being served over ice and sweet. No matter how you like your tea, we are thankful for the 1904 World Faire where history, and our tea filled lives, changed forever.
