We Tasted 7 Brands of Sweet Tea To Find The Best—And There Was A Clear Winner

No Southern tailgate, ball game, party, or occasion of any kind is complete without a pitcher of sweet tea—and while it’s always nice to have a batch of the real deal, you can’t always swing it homemade.

One thing is for certain: Southern Living editors have got opinions on sweet tea. Whether we’re adding a wedge of lemon, sweetening it with extra sugar, or cutting it with a little lemonade or even a dash of unsweetened tea (gasp!), everyone takes it differently.

We gathered together to taste seven brands of store-bought sweet tea to see once and for all which is the best when making it your own way is out of the question.

How We Tested

For this taste test, we poured each of the brands of sweet tea into individual cups labeled with a number—no jugs of tea with labels to be seen! Testers tried cup after cup, taking tasting notes accordingly.

Each tea was ranked on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest. After tasting all of the teas, editors selected their overall favorite. The winner amassed the most points for the highest score.

The Contenders

• Arizona Southern-Style Sweet Tea
• Gold Peak Naturally Sweet Real Brewed Tea
• Great Value Sweet Brewed Iced Tea
• Milo’s Famous Sweet Iced Tea
• Publix Deli Sweetened Iced Tea
• Pure Leaf Real Brewed Sweet Tea
• Red Diamond Fresh Brewed Sweet Tea

How Each Brand Scored

Tasting sweet teas requires a very seasoned taster and tea drinker—the differences can be minescule and make all the difference in the world.

Some had more citrusy notes than others, while others were more bodied, concentrated, and robust.

Despite many good options, our editors identified a very clear winner that came out on top.

Arizona Southern-Style Sweet Tea

Several tasters noticed a tangy, lightly acidic, lemony notes in this tea, and one editor commented that it reminded them of parched tea mix or sizzling tea turned cool. While it was pleasant for drinking, editors noted that it differed greatly from other teas that felt more Southern.

Gold Peak Naturally Sweet Real Brewed Tea

Our tasters loved that this tea had a robust body and flavor, with drinkable sweetness. One of our editors called it “fairly balanced,” and three other editors noticed robust notes of lemon—great for if you can’t find a lemon wedge on hand.

Great Value Sweet Brewed Iced Tea

Many of our tasters who didn’t prefer this tea actually ended up coming back for more—just to be sure. Editors liked the sweetness level, but ultimately wished it had a stronger tea flavor.

Milo’s Famous Sweet Iced Tea

Our editors took note of the color of this tea—and some even claimed they knew it would be the best because it was darker than some of the others. When it came to tasting it, Milo’s tea was especially notable for a tough black tea flavor to match its sweetness. “It’s just as sweet as the others,” said one of the tasters, “but the tea flavor cuts it a bit.” Another editor called out a very slight hint of peach flavor!

Publix Deli Sweetened Iced Tea

This tea was one of the sweeter ones of the bunch, and our tasters—who know a thing or two about sweetness in tea—noticed it immediately. While it was too sweet for some, others found it generally balanced, and felt that it had stronger herbal tea notes than they expected for classic brewed iced black tea.

Pure Leaf Real Brewed Sweet Tea

While most editors found this tea to be not as robust as some of the others, one editor called it a “good all-day sipper.” Others called out distinctively “fruity” notes, and suggested it was a great delicate, refreshing option for folks who prefer not to have extra-strong iced tea.

Red Diamond Fresh Brewed Sweet Tea

“Tastes pretty classic,” said one editor. Other words to describe this tea were “smooth” and “bitter” but not unpleasantly so. This tea was comparably sweet to the Milo’s tea, and while it did not win, a couple of tasters said that they’d be delighted to serve this one.

Robbie Caponetto; Stylist: Mary Beth Wetzel

The Results

Overall, most editors favored Milo’s tea. It didn’t come as a surprise—Milo’s is beloved across the South for its fresh-brewed taste with the sweetness you know and love. Importantly, our tasters liked that it didn’t sacrifice robust notes of black tea for sweetness, which is something all too common with iced tea brands that try very difficult to emulate classic Southern sweet tea.

One of our editors put it best, saying, “It’s got good character.” When it comes to brewed tea that’s sweet as syrup, it’s essential for the stuff to have the character to hold it up—and that’s what great Southern sweet tea is all about.