Twisted Tea Original

Twisted Tea Original is a hard iced tea at 5% ABV, so it sits at about the strength of a typical beer. The brand was started in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 2001. The recipe pairs a black-tea base with lemon flavor, which is how most people think of iced tea in the American South and Midwest. Expect a brisk, lightly sweet lemon-tea taste with mild tannin and a clean finish, not the heavy sweetness of many flavored malt drinks. The IBU is listed as zero, so there is no hop bitterness. Because it comes ready to drink, the main thing to get right is temperature. Chill it thoroughly, ideally to refrigerator cold, before opening. As it warms, the sweetness becomes more noticeable and the tea character fades. Drinking it straight from the bottle or can is the usual way, but pouring it over ice in a tall highball or pint glass gives a more refreshing result. A fresh lemon wedge is the natural garnish, and a sprig of mint works well when you serve it over plenty of ice on a warm day. It can also be a base for simple mixed drinks. A splash over ice with a squeeze of fresh lemon makes a drier, more tart version, and topping it with extra cold unsweetened iced tea stretches a bottle into a lighter, longer drink. Mixing it into a pitcher with sliced lemons and ice is an easy way to serve a group. The lemon-tea profile suits foods that take well to sweet tea. Think barbecue, fried chicken, grilled sausages, burgers, or salty snacks like pretzels and chips, where the lemon and tannin cut through richness and salt.