Hardly anyone takes
the time anymore to brew a pitcher of good old-fashioned iced
tea. Lucky for us, a mind-boggling variety of single-serving
teas saves the day when the temperature soars. We took the
plunge to test the quench quotient of a few.
1. Arizona Original Iced Tea
($1.39 for 20 ounces at 7-Eleven stores)
This "original" iced tea is positively spartan compared
with its ginseng-and-everything-under-the-sun-infused offspring.
(It also appears to be the only Arizona beverage free of
that bothersome wrapper you must peel off prior to recycling.)
Too bad its high-fructose corn syrup content squelches the
already mild tea flavor and actually makes you thirstier.
Maybe that's the reason for the oversized mouth and big-gulp
size. Clever marketing, but damn frustrating.
2. Tazo Basic Black
($1.49 for 13.8 ounces at Nature's
Fresh Northwest)
Tazo's neo-Stonehenge packaging and Zen-humor messages
("Refrigerate after opening. You might also want to do a
little chant if you feel up to it."), are ingratiating,
but a sip of this satisfying brew explains why Starbucks
snatched up the local beverage company. Overpriced as it
may be, Tazo makes the tastiest, nonalcoholic infuzium
drinks around. Some of Tazo's juice-and-tea blends are too
berry-saturated, but the Basic Black is gloriously simple
and strong. Subtle sweetness comes from agave nectar, and
citric acid adds a mild tartness. At last, honeyed flavor
without corn syrup.
3. Tejava
($.85 for 12 ounces at Nature's Fresh Northwest)
Tejava is the Guinness of iced teas. The deep brown tea
is robust, and it has the bite of a Doberman. It's even
microbrewed from tea leaves grown on the island of Java,
and the label claims only the top two leaves of each plant
are picked--hand-picked, of course. Intrigued, we contacted
Crystal Geyser Brand Manager Shawn Fitzpatrick. He verified
that yes, indeed, only the two uppermost leaves are plucked
because the smaller the leaf, the better the flavor. This
one's more for sipping and savoring than for quick guzzling
satisfaction, and it's a good choice for tea purists annoyed
by syrupy impostors. Pick up a lemon on the way to the checkout
counter if you like it tangy.
4. Snapple Sun Tea
($.99 for 20 ounces at Safeway)
Did Snapple feel it was slipping? The beverage company
added Sun Tea to its gazillion-product line. It's unclear
how the sun is involved; somehow I doubt the folks at Snapple
actually put gigantic pitchers of tea out to cook on the
sidewalk, patiently waiting for them to reach perfection.
It certainly doesn't taste like they did, anyway. There
is a pleasant, mild tea flavor going on here, but the pervasive
sugar shock prevails. Another annoying feature is the wide
mouth and wacky bottle shape. It works for Mickey's malt
liquor, but who wants to down this stuff like beer? Not
I.
5. Lipton's Iced Tea (Unsweetened, no lemon)
($.99 for 16 ounces at Safeway)
Good luck tracking this one down, especially at convenience
stores where fructose teas rule. (Even the Lipton "natural
lemon flavor" formula has major sugar action, so read carefully.)
There's something reassuringly simple and familiar about
this old standby. Maybe it's because Lipton is synonymous
with tea itself, or because the straight-up tea taste recalls
great summer childhood memories. Besides, in its standard-issue
vessel, this drink doesn't even try to be cool. Whatever
the case, this is the real deal.
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Willamette Week | originally
published August 25,
1999
|
