Sweet tea, also known assweet iced tea, is a popular style oficed tea commonly consumed in theUnited States^[1][2] (especially theSouth) andIndonesia.^[3][4] Sweet tea is most commonly made by addingsugar orsimple syrup toblack tea while the tea is either brewing or still hot, althoughartificial sweeteners are also frequently used. Sweet tea is almost always served ice cold. It may sometimes be flavored, most commonly withlemon^[1] but also withpeach,raspberry, ormint.^[5] The drink is sometimes tempered withbaking soda to reduce its acidity.^[5] Although sweet tea may be brewed with a lower sugar and calorie content than mostfruit juices andsodas, it is not unusual to find sweet tea with a sugar level as high as 22degrees Brix, or22 g per100 g of liquid, a level twice that ofCoca-Cola.^{[1][6][7][8][9]}

Sweet tea is regarded as an important regionalstaple in thecuisine of the Southern United States andIndonesia.^[10] The availability of sweet tea inrestaurants and other establishments is popularly used as an indicator to gauge whether an area can be considered part of the South.^[11][12][13]

Sweet tea began as an item of luxury due to the expensive nature of its basic ingredients: tea, ice, and sugar.^[1][2] Ice was possibly the most valued of the ingredients since it had to be shipped from afar at a time when access to cool drinking water was already a relative luxury. In modern times, sweet tea can be made in large quantities quickly and inexpensively.^[2]

The oldest knownrecipe for sweet tea was published in a communitycookbook calledHousekeeping in Old Virginia (copyright 1878) by Marion Cabell Tyree.^[1] The recipe called forgreen tea, since most sweet tea consumed during this period was green tea.^[1][2] However, duringWorld War II, the major sources of green tea were cut off from theUnited States due to the Japanese invasion and occupation of green tea–producing regions. As an alternative, green tea was replaced withblack tea fromBritish India. By the end of World War II, black tea had become the tea most drank by Americans.^[14]

In 2003, supposedly as anApril Fool's joke, theGeorgia State House of Representatives introduced a bill making it a "...misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature" to sell iced tea in a restaurant that did not also offer sweet iced tea on the menu.^[6] The bill never went to a vote.^[15]

Tea drinking in Indonesia began during theDutch colonial rule. In the 17th century, the Dutch brought tea plants toBatavia viaSukabumi Beach. Tea plants were subsequently planted in Indonesia which were suitable toWest Java. At the same time, inCentral Java, sugar cane cultivation was successfully introduced. The ready availability of the two ingredients led to development of sweet tea, which remains the most popular beverage in the country.^[16]

• Amacha (lit. 'sweet tea'), a Japanese drink
• Tortuga (cocktail)

• History of Iced Tea and Sweet Tea
• Housekeeping in Old Virginia by Marion Cabell Tyree.ISBN 1-4101-0508-3
• A Slate article on sweet tea

• American drinks
• American tea
• Blended tea
• Cuisine of the Southern United States
• Iced tea
• Indonesian drinks
• Non-alcoholic drinks
• Texan cuisine

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata