Though it isn’t always on a restaurant menu, it’s well-known enough that any bartender (or waitress) would probably know how to create one on special order.

The sharp citrus of the lemon compliments the smoothness of the tea very well, and creates a very refreshing beverage.  It’s extremely easy to make an Arnold Palmer iced tea.  To make an Arnold Palmer, fill a glass halfway with lemonade, and then fill the rest of the way with iced tea (which can be sweetened, usually with simple syrup, or unsweetened).

There are many variations of this drink, made by adding different alcoholic drinks or fruits, and most of these variations have “Palmer” somewhere in the title.  But one of the most popular variations is the Chi Chi Rodriguez, where lime flavoring is used instead of lemonade.

Arnold Palmer iced teas can also be found canned and bottled by many different companies, and in fact Arnold Palmer himself has his name on a line of canned Arnold Palmer iced teas.

First came the electric coffee maker, then the hot tea maker became a popular appliance, and now there are many companies that manufacture an iced tea maker.  Most of them are extremely fast; you can make iced tea in ten minutes or less, when without a machine it could take you far longer.  And most of the machines will make a large amount of tea at one time.

Most of the iced tea makers work by brewing tea in hot water and then instantly chilling it with ice.  Some of the iced tea makers can be adjusted to make both iced coffee and iced tea, as the brewing process is similar.  The iced tea makers have pitchers that disconnect from the machine and can be stored in the refrigerator, and some of the pitchers are specially designed to fit easily in refrigerator doors.

Most of the machines accommodated both tea bags and loose tea.  Tea bags used to be the popular choice, but loose-leaf tea is gaining in popularity.

There are also non-electrical iced tea makers, that are not as fast as the electric ones.  These usually have a filter for the tea leaves or bags, and require chilling for several hours.

In the south, iced tea is usually known as sweet tea, and is freshly brewed to be very strong and very sweet.

In the past, there was no alternative to freshly-brewed.  It could be prepared by brewing hot tea and then cooling it down, or it could be made “sun tea” style – by brewing it in the sun in a large glass jar.  As it became more popular, more iced-tea-related items appeared in stores.  Special brewing jars, serving bowls and ladles, glasses and flatware are now easy to find and fun to use at summer parties.  But even more conveniently, there are now many types of instant tea available that make preparing iced tea easier.  There are varieties of frozen concentrate and tea bags designed to make a great, and easy, glass of iced tea.

And of course, convenience was behind the emergence of bottled and canned iced tea.  There are a huge amount of variances in bottled iced tea…different types of tea used, different sweeteners and different flavorings all mean that it’s easy to take your perfect cup of iced tea with you.  Carbonated iced tea is extremely popular in Europe, though not as much in America.  And there are even electrical appliances now on the market that will brew iced tea easily in your kitchen.

There are a few different stories about its history; one of the most popular stories is that it was created by a bartender, named Robert Buttu, at the Oak Beach Inn in Long Island, New York.  He named it Long Island iced tea because the cola and the ice made it look like iced tea; in some variations (but not many), tea is used instead of cola.

However, there is also a popular story that it is named for the community of Long Island in Tennessee, and goes as far back as the 1920’s.  In the 1920’s, Prohibition was the order of the day and alcohol was illegal.  The story goes that the Long Island iced tea looked like a non-alcoholic iced tea, and people were able to get away with drinking it, even though there is no iced tea in it at all, and it has a huge concentration of alcohol.

Of course, the Long Island iced tea has many variations, and everyone has their favorite.  It’s completely possible that it was created in different forms in different areas of America.

Ironically, there is no actual iced tea in a standard Long Island ice tea.  In general, the Long Island ice tea ingredients are gin, tequila, vodka, and rum (white rum is the standard).  Triple sec, sour mix, and a splash of cola are added in the standard version.  Specifically, equal parts gin, tequila, vodka, rum, and triple sec, with one and a half parts sour mix.  Simple syrup is also often added, as a sweetener.

However, this is a drink that can be altered in many ways to suit personal preference.  As many people don’t like sour mix, the sour mix is often switched out with sweet and sour mix, or even lemon juice, lemonade, or lime cordial.  Cola is sometimes replaced with iced tea.  The tequila is often replaced, as well, often times with brandy.  Some of these variations have other names, although they all stem from the basic Long Island ice tea ingredients.

It is usually served on the rocks (over ice).  The standard garnish is a lemon slice, and it’s usually served in a highball glass.  Long Island ice tea ingredients are usually mixed straight in the glass, over ice, and then stirred.

To make a Long Island ice tea, combine equal parts gin, tequila, white rum, triple sec and vodka, with a splash of cola and one and a half parts sour mix.  Mix it in a highball glass with ice, and serve with a garnish of lemon.

There are a huge amount of variations of the Long Island ice tea, as there are several different types of alcohol used and personal preference comes into play.  The Long Beach ice tea uses cranberry juice instead of cola.  The Purple Rain ice tea uses lemonlime soda instead of cola, and uses Chambord instead of Triple Sec.

In most of the variations, though, the sour mix is switched out for something else, as sour mix is not always a popular add-in.  Lemon juice, lemonade, and lemonlime soda are all popular alternatives to the sour mix.  As well, pineapple juice has become a popular alternative to sour mix.  In countries outside of America, sour mix is never used, and lime cordial is the addition instead.  Occasionally the tequila is switched out, too, because it has a very strong taste and can overpower the other flavors.  Often brandy is used instead of tequila.

In Canada, ice tea is highly sweetened, and is so loved by Canadians that it is readily available in canned, powdered, or frozen forms, to make at home!

Ice tea is also extremely popular in other areas of the world.  In Asian countries it is sometimes brewed slowly in a pot, similar to coffee, until it is very strong, and then served with lemon.  Milk is sometimes added to ice tea in Asian countries, although it becomes more of a dessert, and can be served with tapioca pearls and jasmine blossoms.  Green tea and oolong tea are popular to use in ice tea in this part of the world.  Bubble tea, made with tapioca pearls and condensed milk, is also very popular, and has become increasingly popular in America, as well.

Bottled and canned ice tea is a popular all over the globe.  In Europe, carbonation is a popular variety, and is a ready alternative to other soft drinks.  There are a few well-known companies whose ice tea products span the globe, but many countries have their own local manufacturers that are extremely popular.