Real Southern sweet tea has two rules: brew it strong, and sweeten it while it's still hot so the sugar fully dissolves (no gritty bottom). A tiny pinch of baking soda is the old-school trick to smooth out any bitterness.

Ingredients

  • 6–8 family-size black tea bags (or 8–10 regular)
  • 1 gallon water (divided)
  • 1 to 1½ cups sugar, to taste
  • Pinch of baking soda (optional)
  • Ice & lemon to serve

Method

  1. Bring about 4 cups of water to a boil, then remove from the heat. Add the tea bags and a tiny pinch of baking soda. Steep 5–10 minutes (longer = stronger, but don't oversteep into bitterness).
  2. Remove the tea bags without squeezing them (squeezing releases bitter tannins).
  3. Stir the sugar into the hot tea concentrate until fully dissolved.
  4. Pour into a 1-gallon pitcher and top up with cold water.
  5. Chill, then serve over plenty of ice with a slice of lemon (and fresh mint if you like).

🍹 Sweeten while hot

Always dissolve the sugar in the hot concentrate, never in the cold finished tea — that's the difference between smooth sweet tea and a sugary sludge at the bottom of the glass.