# When did iced tea become the standard at conferences and such? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 28, 2020, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-iced-tea-become-the-standard-at-conferences-and-such/848662 "2020-02-28T17:28:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-iced-tea-become-the-standard-at-conferences-and-such/848662/1 "2020-02-28T17:28:47Z")
When I was growing up in Ohio, iced tea was something that was only available if someone who really liked iced tea went out and got the ingredients or instant or whatever. You would never see it as an option in a run-of-the-milk restaurant. But since I started attending conferences frequently in the late 1990s every conference lunch I’ve been to has served iced tea alongside water as part of the standard table setting. How long has this been going on, is it a regional thing or is it standard throughout the U.S.? I understand that iced tea is not very popular outside North America. Has anyone overseas encountered iced tea as aerved automatically anywhere? ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-iced-tea-become-the-standard-at-conferences-and-such/848662/2 "2020-02-28T18:14:03Z")
…it’s cheap? ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-iced-tea-become-the-standard-at-conferences-and-such/848662/3 "2020-02-28T18:14:10Z")
I live in the desert southwest. It’s been standard in restaurants all my life. > **[Iced tea](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iced_tea)** > > Iced tea (or ice tea) is a form of cold tea. Though it is usually served in a glass with ice, it can refer to any tea that has been chilled or cooled. It may be sweetened with sugar or syrup. Iced tea is also a popular packaged drink that can be mixed with flavored syrup such as lemon, raspberry, lime, passion fruit, peach, orange, strawberry, and cherry. > While most iced teas get their flavor from tea leaves (Camellia sinensis), herbal teas are sometimes served cold and referred to as iced tea. ... > [@](#): > > The oldest printed recipes for iced tea date back to the 1870s. Two of the earliest cookbooks with iced tea recipes are the Buckeye Cookbook[9] by Estelle Woods Wilcox, first published in 1876, and Housekeeping in Old Virginia[10] by Marion Cabell Tyree, first published in 1877.[11] > > Iced tea started to appear in the United States during the 1860s. Seen as a novelty at first, during the 1870s it became quite widespread.[12] Recipes appeared in print, iced tea was offered on hotel menus, and it was on sale at railroad stations.[13] Its popularity rapidly increased after Richard Blechynden introduced it at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis.[14] > > Iced tea’s popularity in the United States has led to an addition to standard cutlery sets: the iced tea spoon is a teaspoon with a long handle, suitable for stirring sugar in the tall glasses in which iced tea is usually served. Iced tea is at its most popular in the summer. > > It is a common stereotype of the Southeastern United States that due to the popularity of sweet iced tea in the region, unsweetened iced tea is not available or is frowned upon. It is often the case, however, that the term “iced tea” is assumed by default to mean sweetened iced tea in that region. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-iced-tea-become-the-standard-at-conferences-and-such/848662/4 "2020-02-28T18:17:06Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > …it’s cheap? “Cheap” is answer yo the question “when”? > [@mbh](#): > > I live in the desert southwest. It’s been standard in restaurants all my life. > > [Iced tea - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iced_tea) I’m asking about conferences, not restaurants. And I’m asking about the iced tea being served automatically with the place setting, not something you get only if you ask for it. It’s a standard in that they give it everyone, regardless of whether anyone has asked for it. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-iced-tea-become-the-standard-at-conferences-and-such/848662/5 "2020-02-28T18:19:16Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > When I was growing up in Ohio, iced tea was something that was only available if someone who really liked iced tea went out and got the ingredients or instant or whatever. > > You would never see it as an option in a run-of-the-milk restaurant. > > But since I started attending conferences frequently in the late 1990s every conference lunch I’ve been to has served iced tea alongside water as part of the standard table setting. > > How long has this been going on, is it a regional thing or is it standard throughout the U.S.? > > I understand that iced tea is not very popular outside North America. Has anyone overseas encountered iced tea as aerved automatically anywhere? I’ve seen it in the US- I’ve typically seen it in situations where other soft drinks are either not available (a yearly lunch I used to attend which was not in an actual restaurant space and therefore there were no fountain dispensers) or more rarely in places where the meal was complimentary/included (cruise ships, resorts conferences etc) and there was an extra charge for soda. And for about the last 30 years or so, it’s been an option at most run-of-the-mill restaurants I’ve been to , although not served automatically. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-iced-tea-become-the-standard-at-conferences-and-such/848662/6 "2020-02-28T18:33:45Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > “Cheap” is answer yo the question “When?” Well, it’s a _reason._ I stopped going to conferences in 2001, and no, iced tea was never served without asking. As **Doreen** said, it’s a healthy substitution for sody pop and other nonalcoholic beverages, so I can understand why it would be offered as an alternative to water by the late ‘90s. ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-iced-tea-become-the-standard-at-conferences-and-such/848662/7 "2020-02-28T18:47:31Z")
I am turning 40 this year. It would be WEIRD for me to be somewhere that iced tea was not available, with the exception of very small conferences (like, twenty people small), where I might expect to only be offered water, coffee, and a small cooler with a selection of canned soda. Generally, anything larger, and there will be a dispenser for ice water, iced tea, coffee, and maybe lemonade or cranberry juice. FWIW, most conferences I attend are in Wyoming or Colorado. And the idea that iced tea wouldn’t be an option in a run-of-the-mill restaurant is definitely outside of my experience (grew up in the Black Hills of South Dakota, adult life in Northeast Wyoming). 99% of the time, iced tea is what I will ask for at any restaurant, and I would be absolutely flabbergasted if I was told, anywhere, that it wasn’t an option. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-iced-tea-become-the-standard-at-conferences-and-such/848662/8 "2020-02-28T19:12:55Z")
I live in the Southeast and I cannot ever recall iced tea being served to tables automatically anywhere. These days you often have to ask even for water, since so many places are trying to save both water and energy. Generally at conferences I’ve been to there will be urns for coffee, iced tea, hot water for regular tea, and cold water on side tables and you serve yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-iced-tea-become-the-standard-at-conferences-and-such/848662/9 "2020-02-28T19:13:09Z")
> [@Kron](#): > > I am turning 40 this year. > > It would be WEIRD for me to be somewhere that iced tea was not available, with the exception of very small conferences… So when you enter the banquet luncheon room, you expect there to be a glass of iced tea already in position next to the water glass at every place setting (along with plates, cutlery, butter dish, salt and pepper shakers, etc.), otherwise it would be weird? I’m specifically asking about iced tea being automatically included at every place setting, not just something that is available if you want it. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-iced-tea-become-the-standard-at-conferences-and-such/848662/10 "2020-02-28T19:16:37Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > I live in the Southeast and I cannot ever recall iced tea being served to tables automatically anywhere. These days you often have to ask even for water, since so many places are trying to save both water and energy. Generally at conferences I’ve been to there will be urns for coffee, iced tea, hot water for regular tea, and cold water on side tables and you serve yourself. At the conferences I attend, you can’t serve yourself anything at the luncheon. Everything is brought to you by the catering staff. During the meetings and lectures, there might be a refreshment table nearby where you can get beverages and snacks, but I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about the catered formal luncheon (if there is one) where every place is set beforehand. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-iced-tea-become-the-standard-at-conferences-and-such/848662/11 "2020-02-28T19:24:40Z")
As mentioned, it is very cheap to make. Also, by making unsweetened ice tea, people who shy away from sugar can have it straight or add non sugar sweeteners. Additionally, soda has waned in popularity among adults as knowledge of its health hazards has increased. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-iced-tea-become-the-standard-at-conferences-and-such/848662/12 "2020-02-28T19:24:40Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > So when you enter the banquet luncheon room, you expect there to be a glass of iced tea already in position next to the water glass at every place setting (along with plates, cutlery, butter dish, salt and pepper shakers, etc.), otherwise it would be weird? > > I’m specifically asking about iced tea being automatically included at every place setting, not just something that is available if you want it. In fairness, I’ve never seen the glass of iced tea already in position, just like I typically don’t see a full water glass at each place setting. I’m talking about a pitcher of iced tea next to the pitcher of water on the table. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-iced-tea-become-the-standard-at-conferences-and-such/848662/13 "2020-02-28T19:35:06Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > In fairness, I’ve never seen the glass of iced tea already in position, just like I typically don’t see a full water glass at each place setting. I’m talking about a pitcher of iced tea next to the pitcher of water on the table. That seems like a fair variation on my experience. The iced tea is on the dining table with other standard items—not something that’s available if you ask for it or something you can get up and serve yourself. So, has this always been the case in your experience? Or was there a time when that wasn’t the case? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-iced-tea-become-the-standard-at-conferences-and-such/848662/14 "2020-02-28T19:36:41Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > As mentioned, it is very cheap to make. Also, by making unsweetened ice tea, people who shy away from sugar can have it straight or add non sugar sweeteners. Additionally, soda has waned in popularity among adults as knowledge of its health hazards has increased. So it started happening when? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-iced-tea-become-the-standard-at-conferences-and-such/848662/15 "2020-02-28T19:39:42Z")
That has pissed me off for years. Every stinking conference I attended in the past 20 years has been the same way. Every lunch setting has been the same deal- iced tea poured for you and a water pitcher available. They would bring coffee for those that like it but soft drinks? Forget about it! Who died and made iced tea king? Don’t ANY conference organizers realize that not everybody likes the damned stuff? ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-iced-tea-become-the-standard-at-conferences-and-such/848662/16 "2020-02-28T19:40:30Z")
Ah, yes. I would expect the place setting to have empty glasses, and one carafe of water and one carafe of tea in reach of each setting. It would be odd in my experience to have an actual full glass of tea waiting for me upon taking my seat. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-iced-tea-become-the-standard-at-conferences-and-such/848662/17 "2020-02-28T19:49:35Z")
> [@Kron](#): > > Ah, yes. I would expect the place setting to have empty glasses, and one carafe of water and one carafe of tea in reach of each setting. It would be odd in my experience to have an actual full glass of tea waiting for me upon taking my seat. What if there were no iced tea pitcher? Would that be weird? And has it always been this way in your experience or was there a time before this started in your experience? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-iced-tea-become-the-standard-at-conferences-and-such/848662/18 "2020-02-28T19:58:20Z")
January 21, 2017 at 8:34 am when the Federal Iced Tea Requirement Act (also known as the Lipton Law) went into effect. But the reason is not hard to guess. Pitchers of drinks have to be put out before any luncheon begins to reduce waitstaff running around while people are seated. But carbonated beverages go flat. You can set out iced tea and water an hour before the guests show up and they’ll be drinkable. But a carbonated beverage sitting out for an hour is not very appetizing. Of course, by the time people sit, the ice is melted, so the tea isn’t particularly cold. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-iced-tea-become-the-standard-at-conferences-and-such/848662/19 "2020-02-28T20:04:10Z")
_run-of-the-milk_? ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-iced-tea-become-the-standard-at-conferences-and-such/848662/20 "2020-02-28T20:13:41Z")
I don’t know… unsweetened iced tea has been bog standard non-alcoholic beverage fare around here (Texas) as long as I can remember, and I’m 47. Restaurants of all stripes typically have always had water, iced tea, coffee or sodas, with iced tea being the default for a large proportion of adults. What I’m starting to see more and more of is pre-sweetened tea. Until the past 5-10 years, there was “tea” and you sweetened it to taste with the sugar/artificial sweetener of your choice at the table or in your car. But at some point, they’ve started making horrendous, tooth-achingly sweetened tea for sale, and then requiring you to specify sweet or “unsweet” (groan) tea, and the order takers screw it up about 1/4 of the time. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-iced-tea-become-the-standard-at-conferences-and-such/848662.md?page=2)