Ok, I'm from California......Ice tea is NOT SWEET....lol. It's just plain brewed tea with ice in it & usually too strong so I have to add a lot of water to make it drinkable.

Went to visit my Dad's family in Nebraska on their farm the summer my husband & I (more like me) got pregnant......the well for the house went through sufur & the well for the cows was perfect wonderful clear water. I couldn't handle the sulfer flavor & I don't do soft drinks....never have liked the fizz......so I always added the instant tea stuff to the water along with lemon to try to cover up the sulfur....it didn't work well & I usually ended up getting a bit sick when I drank the water even with the t in it.....at that time I didn't KNOW I WAS PREGNANT....was just guessing but it was only the water that made me feel sick.

My next fun experience with t was when I went to Italy. Some friends had learned to drink their hot tea with milk I had never heard of that in California. We were on a picnic at Ostia Antica & the only thing they brought was the tea with milk. It wasn't my favorite.....but I did end up drinking as we were all thirsty after climbing around all the ruins.....that was my first introduction to how the English drink their tea.

Then 4 years ago, I moved from California after living there for 53 years......& moved to just above the South...lol....KY. My first experience with Sweet Tea. I ordered tea at the restaurant & then normally brought Sweet Tea. I took one sip & just couldn't handle the sweet.....so I had to ask for some "just plain" ice tea. I still haven't acquired a taste for the sweet tea....however, I do love to brew a tea called Bengal Spice.....it is rather sweet without adding any sweetner & when it's just warm, not hot, it has a very sweet flavor. I usually throw ice cubes into it for a more refreshing summer drink & not as boring as just plain water. I like all flavors of Tea. They have a Christmas brew from the Elmwoods Inn that is orange spice & even better. The peach tea & some other flavors, I like adding the agave syrup sweetner rather than sugar & I never use the sweateners.

I hardly ever drink coffee....tea is definitely my drink of choice...hot or iced & usually NOT sweetened as it seems to make me more thirsty than when it's not sweetened.