It is strange. I did not know about sweet tea until I got to Virginia. Growing up with parents from Arkansas you would think we drank sweet tea all the time. But, no, Mom drank black coffee and Dad drank milk. Cold tea in the North is served plain with a choice of sweeteners on the side.
I like tea; southern sweet tea on a hot day or hot milk tea in the winter. I have been known to drink a chai tea latte also. When I was in 5th grade, I had a friend who was from Bath, England. Whenever we went to her house after school, we would have milky tea and cookies. I then went home and had to have hot tea with milk. My mom indulged me and let me have my British tea. I still add milk to my hot tea.
I was talking with our advertising guy, Tucker, about tea last week. He saw a TV show about how sweet tea got started. It was weird because an article in a 1938 Salem Times about Sir Tom Lipton. I then had to know more about him (Lipton not Tucker).
Sir Thomas Johnstone Lipton, 1st Baronet (1848–1931) was a legendary Scottish self-made merchant, philanthropist, and yachtsman who created the globally renowned Lipton Tea brand. Rising from desperate childhood poverty in Glasgow, he built a massive grocery empire before revolutionizing the global tea trade.
Beyond his business success, he earned international affection as “the world’s most cheerful loser” for his persistent, unsuccessful attempts to win yachting’s most prestigious prize.
[REMOVE or style as subhead: Bypassing Middlemen Rise to Business Fame]
Born to Irish immigrant parents in a Glasgow tenement, he left school early to help support his family. As a teenager, he spent five years working odd jobs across the United States, where he carefully observed American retail, marketing, and aggressive advertising techniques.
Returning to Scotland in 1871, he opened his first grocery store, “Lipton’s Market”. By leveraging clever stunts and dealing directly with local producers, his business rapidly grew into a nationwide chain of over 300 stores. In 1888, Lipton entered the tea market with a vision to make what was then a luxury item affordable for the working class. He bypassed traditional London auctions by purchasing bankrupt coffee plantations in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and replanting them with tea.
Operating under the mantra “Direct from the Tea Gardens to the Teapot,” he achieved high profit margins while drastically lowering prices for consumers. He became a pioneer in standardizing packaging, pre-sorting tea into specific weights rather than selling it loose, which ensured consistent quality worldwide.
Sailing was Lipton’s lifelong passion. Between 1899 and 1930, he challenged the American holders of the America’s Cup five separate times using a succession of yachts named Shamrock through Shamrock V.
Though he lost every single challenge, his unwavering grace, humor, and supreme sportsmanship completely charmed the American public. Following his final defeat in 1930, the Mayor of New York presented him with a specially designed gold cup honoring him as “the best of all losers”. This extensive sailing publicity served as a masterclass in public relations, ultimately making his brand a household name in the United States. Lipton was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1898 and created a baronet in 1902. During World War I, he famously funded medical volunteer organizations and repurposed his personal steam yachts to transport Red Cross staff.
He died a bachelor in 1931, leaving the bulk of his massive fortune to benefit the poor and build hospitals in his beloved native city of Glasgow. His personal memorabilia and historic racing trophies are preserved today inside Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.
Whether you want an energizing morning brew or a calming nighttime ritual, the “best” tea depends on your goal. Generally, true teas are packed with antioxidants, while herbal teas offer remedies for sleep and digestion. For overall health benefits use Black, Green, Matcha or Oolong teas.
Green Tea is the ultimate antioxidant powerhouse. Rich in EGCG, it boosts metabolism, brain function, and heart health.
Black Tea is fully oxidized and robust; it contains higher caffeine levels and flavonoids that support gut and heart health.
Matcha is a concentrated, powdered form of green tea that provides a calm, focused energy boost without the jitters of coffee.
Oolong Tea is a traditional Chinese tea partially oxidized to sit between green and black. It is known to boost metabolism and lower inflammation.
Rooibos is a caffeine-free red tea from South Africa with a naturally sweet, nutty flavor that is full of antioxidants.
To help you sleep and relax try chamomile or lavender tea. For an upset stomach try ginger tea or peppermint tea.
Americans drink an astounding amount of tea, consuming over 84 billion servings (about 3.9 billion gallons) every single year. Roughly 75% to 85% of all tea consumed in the U.S. is iced, with iced sweet tea being especially prevalent across the Southern United States. About 84% of the tea Americans drink is black tea, while 15% is green tea. On any given day, over 159 million Americans, more than half the population, drink some form of tea.
HOW TO MAKE MILK TEA
Add a Lipton Black Tea teabag to your favorite cup. Boil water and pour it over the tea bag. Wait 3 to 5 minutes for the tea to brew, without stirring or squeezing the tea bag. Remove the teabag and pour in a dash of milk. Note: milk should act as a flavor-enhancer, so you only need enough to add creaminess. Too much milk will mask the taste of the tea. Judge it by the change in color as you add the milk and aim for an even shade – a very pale brown means you’ve probably poured in too much. Stir with a spoon to blend evenly.
Hot and Spicy Chocolate Tea
Ingredients
1 cup 2% milk
1 cup water
2 Lipton® Cup Size Tea Bags or Decaffeinated Tea Bags
1 Tbsp. chocolate syrup
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
Instructions
Bring milk and water just to a boil in 2-quart saucepan. Remove from heat and add Lipton® Cup Size Tea Bags. Cover and brew 2 to 5 minutes. Remove Tea Bags and squeeze; stir in remaining ingredients. Sweeten as desired.
Chai Tea Latte
Ingredients
2 tea bags (black tea)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup water
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons refrigerated French vanilla nondairy creamer
Optional: Whipped topping and ground nutmeg
Instructions
Place the tea bags, cinnamon, ginger and allspice in the coffee filter of a drip coffeemaker. Add water; brew according to manufacturer’s directions. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the milk, brown sugar and creamer. Cook and stir over medium heat until heated through and sugar is dissolved. Pour milk mixture into mugs; stir in tea. If desired, dollop with whipped topping and sprinkle with nutmeg.
