Southern Sweet Tea
Black tea sweetened while it is still hot, then chilled and poured over ice: the South's house drink.
Southern sweet tea is black tea brewed strong, sweetened with plenty of sugar while still hot so it dissolves, then chilled and served over ice, often with lemon. Some cooks add a pinch of baking soda. Brewed at 95°C for five minutes.
Sensory profile
You should taste
How it unfolds
Where it sits
That is 45 mg in one serving (12 oz (355 ml) over ice), a concentration of 12.7 mg per 100 ml. The scale above ranks whole servings, and servings differ in size, so a larger drink can sit further right while being weaker cup for cup.
Editorial estimate, not a laboratory measurement
Related gear
Related reading
| Brewing method | Steep Hot, Sweeten, Pour over Ice |
|---|---|
| Brew ratio | 1:50 |
| Dose & yield | 3g → 355g |
| Grind size | Broken Leaf or tea bags |
| Water temperature | 203°F / 95°C |
| Target brew time | 5:00 |
| Serving | 12 oz (355 ml) over ice |
What you need
- 3 g black tea, about two tea bags
- 150 g filtered water at 95°C
- 20 g sugar, about 5 teaspoons
- A tiny pinch of baking soda, optional
- Ice, to fill a 12 oz glass
- Lemon, to garnish, optional
Required gear
- Small saucepan or heatproof jug
- Kettle
- Tall glass
- Scale accurate to 0.1 g
- Timer
Step-by-step protocol
- 0:00Heat 150 g of water to 95°C, just off the boil. Take it off the heat, add the tea and, if you like, a tiny pinch of baking soda, and start the timer.
- 5:00Remove the tea bags or strain out the leaf. Stir in 20 g of sugar while the tea is still hot, until every grain has dissolved.
- 5:30Let it cool for a few minutes, then pour it over a glass filled with ice and add a slice of lemon if you like. For a pitcher, multiply everything by four, chill the sweetened tea and pour it over ice.
Troubleshooting
What it may be good for
The caffeine count
We list about 45 mg for the 12 oz (355 ml) glass, made with about 3 g of black tea. A typical 8 oz cup of black tea has about 47 mg, and the figure moves with how much tea you use and how long you steep.
Sugar in while it is hot
Stir the sugar in as soon as the tea comes off the leaf, while it is still hot. It dissolves faster, and the glass will not have sugar sitting on the bottom.
What to watch out for
- Caffeine affects everyone differently. If you are pregnant or nursing, sensitive to caffeine, or have been told to limit it, check with your doctor about how much tea is right for you.
- Traditional sweet tea is very sweet. Make it with less sugar, or none, if you prefer.
Southern sweet tea is black tea brewed strong, sweetened with plenty of sugar while still hot so it dissolves, then chilled and served over ice, often with lemon. Some cooks add a pinch of baking soda. Brewed at 95°C for five minutes.
Origin & Story
A pitcher sweats on a porch rail and the ice in it clinks every time someone passes. In much of the American South, ordering tea means ordering this, cold and sweet, unless you say otherwise. One reference notes that a restaurant offering sweet tea is an informal sign that you are in the South.
Iced tea is older than sweet tea, and the oldest documented sweet tea recipe appears in Housekeeping in Old Virginia, a cookbook from the late 1870s. It used green tea, which was the common tea in America then. That changed in the Second World War, when green tea from Asia stopped arriving and black tea from British India took over. Americans came out of the war drinking mostly black tea, and around then it became common in the Deep South to dissolve sugar in hot, freshly brewed tea and chill it.
Why sugar goes in hot is simple. It dissolves faster in hot liquid, and a drink this sweet needs a lot of it, so stirring it into cold tea is slow and can leave grains on the bottom of the glass. Some pitchers reach about 22 degrees Brix, roughly twice the sugar concentration of a cola.
Strength matters as much as sweetness. The tea is brewed stronger than a hot cup, because ice will water it down, and it is taken off the leaf after about five minutes so that it does not turn bitter. Some cooks add a small pinch of baking soda, which they say smooths the bitterness and keeps the tea clear. It is a tradition rather than a requirement.
Brew 3 g of black tea in 150 ml of water at 95°C for five minutes, dissolve 20 g of sugar in it while it is hot, and pour it over a full glass of ice.
Reading the Flavor Profile
| Axis | Score |
|---|---|
| Sweetness | 94/100 |
| Acidity | 30/100 |
| Bitterness | 34/100 |
| Body | 48/100 |
| Aroma | 46/100 |
These values are comparative editorial positions within our own catalog, calibrated so entries can be ranked against each other. They are not laboratory measurements.
How much caffeine is in Southern Sweet Tea?
One serving, 12 oz (355 ml) over ice, contains approximately 45 mg of caffeine.
What temperature should I use for Southern Sweet Tea?
Target 95°C (203°F).
How long should Southern Sweet Tea be extracted?
Timing: 5:00. Method: Steep Hot, Sweeten, Pour over Ice. Ratio: 20g leaf per Liter of water (3 g in 150 ml), brewed strong for ice. Grind or leaf format: Broken Leaf or tea bags.
Why is sugar added to sweet tea while it is hot?
Sugar dissolves faster in hot liquid, and sweet tea is sweet enough that stirring sugar into a cold pitcher is slow and can leave grains behind. Dissolve it in the hot tea, then chill.
Does a pinch of baking soda help sweet tea?
Some cooks add a small pinch per pitcher, about a quarter teaspoon per gallon, to soften the tea and keep it clear. It is a tradition rather than a requirement, and plenty of good sweet tea is made without it.
Is sweet tea the same as iced tea?
Iced tea is tea served cold, with or without sugar. Sweet tea is iced tea sweetened while hot with a lot of sugar, and in much of the American South it is what iced tea means by default.
Who should avoid Southern Sweet Tea?
Caffeine affects everyone differently. If you are pregnant or nursing, sensitive to caffeine, or have been told to limit it, check with your doctor about how much tea is right for you. Traditional sweet tea is very sweet. Make it with less sugar, or none, if you prefer. This information is educational and is not medical advice. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, managing a cardiac or gastrointestinal condition, or taking prescription medication, discuss caffeine and botanical intake with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes.
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