I have lived in the South (Georgia) all my life (by the Grace of God) although I have traveled throughout much of the United States and a few foreign countries during my 69 years, on many nice hunts, vacations, and business. Not everyone makes tea the same. I would almost agree with GregSy that some of the tea served up in many areas is scarcely fit to drink. The process of making tea, and most do drink their tea sweetened, is the key, including the sweetening process. I have found in recent years I prefer my iced tea to be served to me unsweetened, and add just a wee bit of sugar to the brew myself, if at all. Most iced tea served in most of the country today is grossly over sweetened, perhaps GregSy's bilge water has a similar sweet flavor, I wouldn't know.

A good way to brew very good iced tea is the Sun Brew method, placing the appropriate amount of tea bags into a gallon glass jar of GOOD water, covered, and leave it out in the sun for half a day or so. Many popular tea brands have the method printed on their boxes. Sweetening the brew can easily either make or kill the finished product. GOOD water is key, and different areas have distinctly different tasting water. There are different sugars that can be served from the table as well, each of which adds it's own particular taste to the final product.

Good sweet iced tea is a wonderful brew. Poorly prepared tea, I would agree, is akin to rot-gut whisky. Poorly prepared hot tea, in the English method, is also not good. Poorly prepared coffee is also not good. Alas, many of the restaurents in the South do not prepare it well. But, both well prepared tea, as well as well prepared whisky (but not the ever popular Jack Daniels I fear) are wonderful things.