Iced tea is quite literally brewed tea served cold over ice.

Iced tea invention can be attributed to the development of refrigeration, which was used commercially by the middle of the nineteenth century. As cookbooks from that century indicate, iced tea was first popular in the green tea variety spiked heavily with liquor, then called a tea punch. One such tea punch took the name Regent's Punch after the English prince regent George IV, who held that title from 1811 until 1820. American versions soon followed and given appropriate patriotic names.

In the twentieth century, black tea began to replace green tea as the tea of choice to serve cold. By then, inexpensive black tea was being exported from India, Ceylon, South America, and Africa. In 1904, the popularity of iced tea all over the United States soared after Richard Blechynden, India Tea Commissioner and Director of the East Indian Pavilion, handed out free cups of iced tea to hot and thirsty attendees of the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis.http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/IcedTeaHistory.htm

Iced Tea is a very versatile drink and can be enjoyed any time of day with virtually every meal. It is ideal for a hot summer day and goes very well with traditional southern foods.