Well, I think it's fair to say the first half of Summer 2012 has been extremely hot! 104 degrees with high humidity is truly a recipe for heat exhaustion. I have found ice tea to be a great relief during this heatwave. This takes me back to the story of how ice tea was first invented:
"Ice tea was invented at the St Louis World's Fair in 1904. The summer heat was so scorching that no one would drink the hot tea being promoted by British tea merchants until one of them, Richard Blechynden, hit upon the idea of pouring the tea over ice."
Excerpt from "The Little Book of Tea" by Randy Burgess
The above picture is actually a photo of a decorative plate I purchased for $3.59 at Cracker Barrel. The image "Sweet Tea and Screen Doors" was designed by Sunsan Winget. It really summarizes my love affair with ice tea this summer, so I decided to bring the image to life. Fresh strawberries, lemons and sprigs of mint, along with Wenshan Pouchong over ice.
Simply refreshing!
Everyday is an ice tea adventure! I have "cold brewed" everything from Oriental Beauty to Sencha. I sure hope you're staying cool and drinking lots of ice tea.
Please drop me a comment to let me know what teas you have been enjoying over ice this summer.
Blessings, Darlene
