Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-08

is pretty field open
Instead of competing in eating I'M
told quantities of scrambled eggs, or
pies. men ought to hold an iced tea
drinking contest. Then the world would
hear of astonishing feats. The only fair
| time to hold such contest would be
about 6 o'clock some hot Summer eve
ming, when this magic beverage just hits
the spot.
n n y
iced tea drinkers vary in their tastes
of course, some liking it weak and
others strong. In this, as in everything
else. a mean is to be preferred. Such a
glass of iced tea will be neither too
strong nor too weak. but just right
with the exact coloration which makes
it so appetizing.
There can be little question that the
color of iced tea is one OF its greatest
charms. Iced coffee is a muddy-look-
| ing brew at best. Its chief charm
| is the precise second, together with
| the ensuing seconds, when the cream
| is poured in. Then the mingling Of the
cream with the coffee makes the glass
| take on the appearance OF a mobile
marble, the veins shifting and varying.
eddying to and fro, until finally one
solid shade is achieved.
Iced tea, in the other glass, is clear,
delicious amber, so sparkling in its
crystal setting that it appeals irresist-
ably to all lovers of good things to eat
and drink. This grand drink is never
clouded with cream, although dash
of lemon may tighten it a bit
Iced tea Is best served in clear glasses.
Those who have tried the experiment
of putting it in the colored tumblers
fvan, rs hot
iced tea in such a setting is not pre-
cisely iced tea as they To- it, They
miss something. At first they inquire
What is wrong with the tea tonight?
Was a new brand used?" Then they
realize that what they miss is the
color of the true blend. Not being able
to see the color, they lose some of the
charm of their favorite drink.
Iced tea. to be at its best. should
never be stored. even in refrigerator,
but should be made fresh for every
serving. Since tea, as the exporters
assure us. is still the cheapest COM
modify we buy there Is little excuse
for serving it stale. Just exactly what
delicate changes take place in pitch
er of old tea put on the back of the
shelf in the ice box is something only
an expert in analysis could answer.
One does not have to be chemist,
however, to know the difference be-
tween old and new tea in the glass.
Perhaps the best way to serve it is to
pour it hot onto cracked ice. This is
slightly wasteful of ice, but the better
taste is worth it. BY putting few
more pieces of ice in the glass the
drink may be made as cold as it de-
serves to be for the very best effect.
Iced tea ought to live up to its
name. Next to the proverbial second
cup of coffee, which is never as good
as the first cup, the worst thing in
the world is a lukewarm glass of iced
tea. It must live up to its name-lt
must be iced to be right.
Americans may be committing crimes
on their stomachs to like their iced
drinks SO cold, but one is afraid that
the matter will continue to stand at
exactly that point. Americans like
their hot drinks hot, their cold drinks
cold. In nothing is this shown better
than iced tea. We wouldn't give a
cent for mediumly cold glass of tea.
We want it as cold as possible, and
even colder. Then, and then only, docs
1t deserve its good name.