The month of June brings to mind many things: the end of the school year, high school graduation, Father's Day...but National Iced Tea month? Who knew? Sip & Savor did, of course, and thought it only appropriate to make sure you, too, learn more about this special recognition.

This year marks the seventh annual National Iced Tea Month, which recognizes the beverage that was created in America nearly a century ago. How did iced tea come to be? During the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, folks just weren't interested in drinking hot tea. So an English tea merchant named Richard Blechynden added ice and...voila, a new beverage was invented.

Iced teas have come a long way since then. Of course, many of us still enjoy making good old-fashioned sun tea. But since the invention of iced tea, our lives have become slightly more hectic. Many of us now lack the time to make sun tea - let alone sit and enjoy a cool glass of it on the front porch. But not to worry. There are many ready-to-drink teas available today. And, depending on processing, ready-to-drink (or RTD) teas may offer similar health benefits to brewed teas. If you want to learn more about RTD teas, check out the American Beverage Association's products issue site. You can learn about the history of this category, view a sample nutrition facts panel for a RTD tea and more.

So whether your favorite tea is Crystal Light, GOLD PEAK, Honest Tea, Lipton BRISK, Nestea, Snapple or another brand.....find some time this month to kick back, relax and savor its refreshing flavor.