National Iced Tea Day Date in the current year: June 10, 2025

Iced tea, also known as ice tea, is a cold beverage made by brewing tea (usually black or green, but occasionally herbal), then chilling it and serving it over ice. It can be served sweetened or unsweetened and is often flavored with lemon, mint, or fruit.

Although tea has been consumed for thousands of years, the first recorded mentions of iced tea are relatively recent. Irish novelist and journalist Marguerite Gardiner, Countess of Blessington, mentions drinking iced tea in Naples in The Idler in Italy, her humorous account of living abroad. The book was first published in 1839-1840, but describes Gardiner’s trip to Italy in 1823.

Iced tea first appeared in the United States in the 1860s and became widespread in the 1870s, as evidenced by recipes for it found in cookbooks published during those decades. The drink experienced a significant surge in popularity after the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri, where British tea merchant and government official Richard Blechynden promoted it.

During its early years, iced tea was especially popular in the American South, where a distinct style of iced tea called sweet tea developed. Sweet tea is typically made by adding sugar or syrup to hot, freshly brewed tea, chilling it, and serving it over ice. It is sometimes flavored with lemon, peach, raspberry, or mint.

Sweet tea was originally considered a luxury because its basic ingredients—tea, sugar, and ice—were expensive and difficult to obtain. Early recipes called for green tea because it was the most common variety in the United States before World War II. However, by the end of the war, green tea had been replaced by black tea. Today, sweet tea is an inexpensive and readily available staple of Southern cuisine.

Iced tea makes up about 85% of all tea consumed in the United States. In addition to being made at home and served at restaurants and coffee shops, it is available as a bottled beverage in different flavors. A few major brands dominate the iced tea market in the United States, including Arizona, Pure Leaf, Lipton, Gold Peak, and Snapple. The most popular flavor of iced tea is classic lemon, accounting for approximately 40% of sales. In many countries, iced tea only became popular after it was introduced as a bottled beverage.

Iced tea should not be confused with Long Island iced tea. The latter is an alcoholic cocktail made with tequila, vodka, white rum, gin, triple sec, lemon juice, simple syrup, and cola. It does not contain any actual tea and got its name because of its resemblance to non-alcoholic iced tea.

Although the origin of National Iced Tea Day is unknown, the holiday is still worth celebrating. Make a large pitcher of iced tea and share it with friends and family. Don’t forget to post about the holiday on social media using the hashtag #NationalIcedTeaDay!