Guilt Free Sweet Tea & Southern Hospitality

The following post is sponsored by Southern Breeze Sweet Tea. However, all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. This is my honest review of their Southern Breeze cold brew “guilt free sweet tea.” 

Some things are so inherently southern like sitting out on the porch, Sunday supper simmering on the stove, and a glass of old fashioned sweet tea. But the southern way of life is about much, much more than that. It’s about slowing down, enjoying family, and making strangers feel like family. I think that’s why sweet tea seems to be such a staple in our culture; it’s the cornerstone of southern hospitality.

I certainly don’t consider myself a traditional southern belle. Does anyone, really? I am two generations removed from any kind of farm life and I avoid cooking with butter whenever possible. But I WAS raised on sweet tea and good manners. [Side note: I think my grandma just rolled over in her grave about the butter comment. Sorry, Nanny.]

It’s pretty custom for southerners to invite friends and neighbors in for a glass of tea. They’ll ask about your mama and how your cousin is getting along. They may send you home with goodies or ask you to stay for dinner. One things for certain, that tea you’re drinking was made with love… and about two cups of sugar.

There was ALWAYS tea in the fridge when I was growing up. My siblings and I drank that sweet, syrupy concoction like it was going out of style. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, repeat. Well, it did go out of style for me. As I’ve grown older and my metabolism has slowed down, I’ve become much more in-tune with my health and my diet. And I just haven’t had any room for sweet tea in my life. Until now.

A few weeks ago, I learned about a new product called Southern Breeze Sweet Tea. It’s a zero-calorie cold brew sweet tea that is pre-sweetened and comes in single serve bags. I agreed to try it because I loved the idea of a guilt free sweet tea. The first flavor I tried was the peach tea. Honest to God, these people hit a home run. There is no weird after taste like most diet drinks and the flavor is spot on!

I had to get a second opinion on this guilt free sweet tea so I asked my sister, Lacey, to do a taste test. A little background on my sister, she’s as opinionated as the days are long. She has HIGH standards. And if you spend a few hours at her house and you’ll leave with a southern drawl and a sugar coma. Oh, and did I mention she will not drink diet beverages? She’s one of the few people I know that still drinks regular coke.

When it was time for our sweet tea tasting, I mixed up batches of both peach tea and half-and-half tea [half tea and half lemonade]. Southern Breeze Sweet Tea comes in single serve bags so to make a pitcher, I poured 6 cups of cold water over 6 tea bags and allowed it to steep for 5 minutes. Then, poured the tea over ice and served in adorable little mason jars. Learn more about How to Make Sweet Tea.

Then came the moment of truth. Lacey first took a sip of the peach tea. Literal first words: “wow, that is surprisingly tasty!”  I want to say I was surprised but I knew she would love it.  I asked her to share with y’all a review in her own words:

My favorite is the peach. I love peach anything so this is great! It will be great this summer lounging by the pool! It’s nice that its single serve so I can have it in the pantry for anytime I need a sweet tea fix. I will probably put a couple in my desk at the office for those days when I need a little pick-me-up. – Lacey 

Lacey and I spent that afternoon dipping our toes in the pool, talking about family matters and sippin’ on this guilt free sweet tea. Before I left her house that day, she asked me to leave a few bags with her. That alone speaks for itself.

I think the best thing about this product is that we can all get back to our roots and enjoy sweet tea without all the guilt. It’s time we get back to front porch sitting, Sunday suppers and sweet tea drinking. How about you invite the neighbors over for a glass?

Looking for other guilt free indulgences? Try my recipe for Peanut Butter Brownie Hummus! 

Share the Sweetness Y’all!

Kelsey Renee

Enter to Win

Spring is here and it’s time to picnic under the sun! Southern Breeze is giving away a sweet picnic basket with ALL the fixin’s: Basket, picnic blanket, mason jars, and of course, the full line up of their zero-calorie Southern Breeze cold brew sweet tea! Click the image below to enter.

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