iced tea
Getty ImagesSweet iced tea has been called "the house wine of the South," but folks from the East, West and North sure have been known to enjoy a spell on the porch with a big ol' pitcher of the unsweetened stuff. It's a cinch to make, inexpensive to serve to a crowd and we've found some berry smart ways to add flavor and keep it cool.

Basic Iced Tea Recipe
Make a tea base by steeping two family-sized or 4-6 standard bags (or the loose equivalent) of your favorite Earl Grey, oolong, orange pekoe, herbal or other tea in 2 cups of freshly-boiled water for ten minutes. Remove the tea bags, taking care not to squeeze them, as this can add bitterness.

While the brew is still hot, stir in any desired sweetener until it thoroughly dissolves. Pour this concentrate into a 2-quart pitcher, and add cold water until it reaches your desired strength. Tea can cloud if it's refrigerated while still warm, so wait for it to reach room temperature before further chilling.

Sun Tea Recipe
Fill a clean 2-quart glass container with water, drop in 4 to 6 tea bags and affix the lid. Place the filled container in a sunny spot for 3-5 hours, moving it for maximum exposure if needed. Once the desired strength has been achieved, as determined by taste or darkness, remove it from the sun and refrigerate. The tea won't be as strong as tea brewed in boiling water, but it's a perfect backdrop for simple herbal infusions like mint, chamomile and lemon verbena. It'll also have a mellower taste, as it takes temperatures of more than 140 degrees F to leach out tea leaves' natural tannins.

Arnold Palmer / Half and Half Recipe
Golfer Arnold Palmer lends his name to what's said to be his favorite beverage -- a mixture of equal parts lemonade and sweet or unsweetened iced tea. We're also keen on our own variation, the Arnoldo Palmer, made with limeade, iced tea and an optional shot of tequila.

Thai Iced Tea Recipe
Though Thai red tea leaves might be a bit difficult to find, it's well worth the hunt. They're traditionally seasoned with star anise, cinnamon and vanilla and are a must in this sweet, creamy treat.

6 cups water
1 cup Thai tea leaves
3/4 cup sugar
6 tbsp cream
6 tbsp condensed milk

Boil the boiled water over the tea and let it steep for 3 to 5 minutes -- until the mixture is a bright orange color. Strain (or remove bags) into a clean pitcher. Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate.

Fill 6 highball (tall) glasses with crushed ice and fill 3/4 with tea. Add 1 tablespoon cream and 1 tablespoon condensed milk to each glass, and swirl with a spoon.

Boston Iced Tea Recipe
This tart tea variation is an homage to New England's berry bogs. Just brew up a batch of the basic iced tea recipe, and while it's still warm, stir in cup of sugar and 6oz of cranberry juice concentrate until dissolved. Cool, and serve garnished with an orange wedge.

For a slightly splashier version, sub in 2 cups of cranberry cocktail for the sugar and the concentrate.

Sweet Leaf Tea Founder's Southern Sweet Tea Recipe
We're well aware that there are as many ways to make sweet tea as there are Southern grandmothers. Here's the version we love at home from Clayton Christopher, the founder of Sweet Leaf Tea.

1 ounce high quality, organic tea leaves
1/2 gallon carbon filtered water
1 1/8 cups of organic sugar
Ice

1. Bring 1/2 gallon of high quality, carbon filtered water to a boil. Water should be carbon filtered to remove chlorine which can be achieved with a Brita.
2. Turn off heat; stir in one ounce loose, organic tea leaves to water.
3. Let sit 5 minutes, uncovered.
4. Add 1 cup of sugar to large, ice filled pitcher. If using tea bags, remove bags from boiling water and add sugar to hot tea.
5. Pour tea through strainer into pitcher.
6. Pour over ice, stir and enjoy!

And here's our version:

Southern Sweet Tea Recipe
4 cups water
8-10 regular-sized or 3 "family sized" bags orange pekoe tea (preferably Lipton or Luzianne)
Simple syrup (1-plus cups)
Pinch of baking soda
Additional water

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Turn off the heat, teabags (tie the strings together to make 'em easy to pull out) in the pan with a pinch of baking soda. Once it's suitably darkened, and still hot, pull out the bags.

Stir 1/2 to 1 cup of the simple syrup into the tea until it's thoroughly blended. Pour the mixture into a 1 gallon glass or metal pitcher, and fill to the top with water. Stir, cool to room temperature and chill in the refrigerator.

Once the tea has cooled, serve it in tall glasses 2/3 filled with ice, with sugar syrup on the side so that guests may sweeten according to their personal taste.

Try the following tricks to make your iced tea even better!

Use Frozen Berries
Want to keep it chilly, but hate watered-down weakness? Freeze a tray of tea ice cubes to give the flavor staying power. For a surprise taste twist, pop fresh or frozen berries into the tray slots, or freeze lemonade or your favorite juice. As they melt, they'll totally transform the drink.

Try Fresh Water
Start with the freshest water you can find. If your water tastes funny coming out of the tap, it's not going to do your brew or ice any favors. Use bottled water or filter your own at home if you know that's a factor.

Steep 'N Stop
The amount of tea, rather than the brewing time is what determines the strength of the tea. Over-steeping can draw out too much tannin and make it bitter. If this occurs, a pinch of baking soda can soften the taste.

Simple Syrup
It's perfectly fine to swirl in sugar while the tea's still hot to ensure that the crystals dissolve, but we prefer simple syrup for maximum mixability at any temperature. Make a large batch to have on hand for full-pitcher sweetening, or to let guests stir in by the glass.

Try this recipe: Pour 2 cups of water and 4 cups of sugar into a saucepan and stir together. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and stir until thickened. Turn off heat, and set aside to cool. Store in tightly sealed glass jars or use at once.

Outstanding Infusions
Toss a few sprigs or crushed leaves of your favorite herbs (we love mint, borage, lavender and lemon verbena), citrus rinds, ginger root or berries into the mix while you're steeping the tea. Strain 'em out to leave just a hint of flavor, or keep them in the pitcher as the brew chills.

We also love including these ingredients as we're making simple syrup. Just boil slices or leaves along with the sugar and water to add some zing and swing with your sweet.

Did we miss your favorite tip or recipe? Let us know in the comments below!

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