You can’t call it summer without sun, sand and, of course, sweet tea. There is no greater icon of vacation mode: the sweaty, frosted glass and the soft clink of ice cubes as you draw your first icy, mouth-watering sip. Sweet tea is both a treat and a staple of summer. In some regions of the country, it is guzzled like water. In others, it is a novelty consumed with cozy, home-style cuisine. Upon deeper analysis, we discovered that all the claims to the best sweet tea involved a secret recipe, and we delved into the ultimate mission: to crack the code of the sweet tea secret.

In 1795, the first tea plantations in the United States arrived in South Carolina. Today, there are still a few left in the state. Popping up in the 19^th Century, the first sweet tea “punches” incorporated green tea and a heavy-handed pour of booze. The switch to black tea began in the late 1800’s when the refreshing drink became more like the modern-day version, preferably garnished with a slice of lemon, sweetened with sugar, poured over broken ice.

While you can’t visit a rest stop or convenience store without being bombarded by an influx of flavored and traditional sweet tea options, this wasn’t always the case. Sweet tea came on the market in the early 20^th century, specifically the Saint Louis World’s Fair of 1904. The oppressive heat inspired the quest for cold drinks, and the complimentary hot tea being given out at the fairgrounds was served over ice. The chilled version of this “ice tea” was a smash hit for fairgoers. It soon made its way into department stores as the signature drink for shoppers nationwide!

Searching for the best sweet tea recipe, we encountered a whole lot of “secret” ingredients and brewing methods. We decided to take matters into our own hands and perfect our own recipe to put out for the whole world to enjoy! We’re here to take the secret out of this southern treat. Give it a whirl and let us know what you think!

• Use loose leaf tea – it is of higher quality than most tea bags and tastes better! Tea bags use fannings and dust, the leftover bits of tea once the good loose leaf stuff is used. Try our Iced Tea blend, Organic Keemun, or Orange Pekoe!
• Use an iced tea pitcher, such as our Mist Iced Tea Pitcher. All you have to do is add your loose leaf tea directly inside the pitcher, then add filtered water! The filter at the top of the pitcher will keep tea leaves from reaching your glass. With the Mist Iced Tea Pitcher, there are is a cold and hot brew method.
• Add 7-10 tsp loose leaf tea to the 50oz pitcher
• Gently pour 2 cups hot water first, then 4 cups cold water
• Place pitcher in fridge. Steep 2 – 6 hours.
• Voila! Pour and serve!
• Garnish with a lemon slice and mint sprig.

Turkish coffee is a strong, sometimes spiced coffee served with a little foam served in a demitasse or espresso cup. Meant to be savored slowly, not downed like an espresso shot, Turkish style brewing is an unfiltered stovetop method producing a very flavorful, caffeinated cup. The Internet is full of conflicting (and sometimes complicated) advice on the proper technique. This is our favorite method.

Ingredients (for two servings):

• 2 tablespoons finely ground coffee. Turkish is a grind level you can request when placing your order. If you’re grinding beans at home, you want a finer grind than espresso. The coffee should be a fine powder. Most supermarkets also have grinders with a Turkish setting. A City or French roast works best.

• Cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, or anise. Spices are optional. Add a pinch of whichever ground spice you choose. We add two whole cardamom pods to the pot while brewing.

• 2 teaspoons sugar. Sugar is also optional, and Turkish coffee is delicious with or without it.

• 6 ounces cold water. Cold water lengthens the brewing time, which produces a more flavorful cup.

Method

Brewing Turkish coffee should only take a few minutes. The key is to keep a close eye on your pot the entire time, never letting the coffee fully boil. First, add all the ingredients to a Turkish coffee pot or small saucepan. The coffee will float on the top until it heats up, and then start to sink a little. Stir the mixture a few times and continue to heat until simmering.

When you see the coffee start to rise and foam begins to form at the top, lift the pot off the burner and stir. At this point, you can spoon some foam into your serving cups if you like. Return the pot to burner and continue to heat until the rising/foaming starts again. Remove the pot from the burner. Spoon more foam into your cups. Then pour the remaining coffee slowly to keep some of the sunken grounds in the pot. Allow the cups to sit for a minute so the grounds can settle, and enjoy!

If you would like to try your hand at fortune telling, leave a sip at the bottom, and follow these instructions to divining the future from the grounds!

The TSA-friendly Aeropress, on vacation in County Monaghan, Ireland.

We love the Aeropress. Why? It’s easy to use, affordable, compact, and produces a rich, flavorful cup of coffee. If you’re brewing for one (or two), it takes up a heck of a lot less space on a kitchen counter than an automatic drip brewer, though the shape may raise some eyebrows. The Aeropress loves to travel, it’s quick to use, and easy to clean. It fits great in a backpack or even a purse — take it to the office or on your next camping trip. Ready to try it? Here are the basics:

Brewing Instructions

1. Boil some water and let it cool for about a minute.
2. Place a filter inside the cap and place the Aeropress over your mug without the plunger inside.
3. Wet the filter slightly with a little warm water.
4. Pour in 2 scoops of finely ground coffee (we use a grind slightly finer than standard autodrip). A plastic funnel comes with the Aeropress for this purpose, but you may find that you don’t need it.
5. Add the hot water until it reaches the number four.
6. Stir (Aeropress comes with a little paddle).
7. Insert plunger and PRESS firmly.

You’re done! Drink as is or dilute it with hot water to taste.

Once you’ve got this down, give the reverse method a try. The coffee steeps a little longer in the hot water, producing a flavor closer to French press coffee.

The Reverse Method

1. Start with the plunger in the Aeropress and flip upside-down so the top of the plunger is resting your mug.
2. Pour in two scoops of finely ground coffee.
3. Hold the cylinder steady over the cup and add hot water until nearly full.
4. Stir with your paddle.
5. Steep for one minute (you might want to experiment with steep time to get the flavor you like).
6. Attach the cap with a filter inside.
7. Flip it, carefully, and place over your mug.
8. PRESS.

There you go. Two easy methods, two great cups of coffee. One weird looking tube thing no one would ever guess has anything to do with coffee. Enjoy!

Photo credit, top: Stacey Meola