Iced Tea Etiquette

Iced tea is believed to have been invented at the 1904 St. Louis World Fair by expatriate Englishman, Richard Blechynden. More Americans drink their tea iced, as opposed to hot tea. 

Richard Blechynden, a British expatriate, is credited with inventing “iced tea” at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904, though it is believed that many Americans in the deep Southern American states had already been drinking their tea chilled by that time. It is the most popular way of drinking tea in the United States.

 Fresh-brewed tea is usually served in a tall glass with ice cubes, a slice of lemon slotted to the rim, and a long spoon for stirring in sugar or honey. Combination “Straw-Spoons” were produced in silver, aluminum and stainless steel, throughout the 19th and 20th centuries to  enable stirring and drinking one’s iced tea, so that the spoon did not have to be removed, thus avoiding staining one’s table or tablecloth.

Iced tea is the only beverage that you can properly drink with a spoon still in the glass. If you are not given a straw or straw spoon for drinking your iced tea, clever hostesses  will use a “butter pat” or similarly sized, iced tea spoon caddy  (a tiny silver plate to the right of your glass) to rest the bowl of your spoon in. Most restaurants will serve your iced tea on a saucer for the same purpose. 

If you are offered none of these options above,  it’s best to leave the spoon in the glass. The spoon handle can be held in place with the tip of the index finger, while sipping from the glass.— Maura J. Graber, 1990

 🍽️Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia