The Absolute Best Store-Bought Sweet Tea Only Has 3 Ingredients

Maybe you don't want to take the time to make Earl Grey sweet tea or your last batch came out a bit too sweet for your liking. The convenience of store-bought sweet tea can do the trick when you're thirsty or want to start pouring drinks quickly for the guests at your dinner party. Tasting Table took on the task of sampling and comparing 9 different store-bought sweet teas to help steer you in the right direction when it comes to placing products into your shopping cart, and one of our favorite selections demonstrates that less can be more when it comes to this classic favorite.

Made simply with brewed tea, filtered water, and cane sugar, Milo's sweet tea offers the fresh, sweet taste of a sweet tea that has been made just for the occasion. The company has been using the same formula since 1946, and with no preservatives or added colors, this no-fuss sweet tea has amassed devout customers over the decades who have found ways to use the famous unsweetened tea in recipes ranging from deviled eggs, oven-roasted corn, short ribs, carrot cake banana bread, and pie. 

Sometimes store-bought sweet teas result in an aftertaste you'd rather not experience, or on the other end of the spectrum, a saccharine experience that tastes more like liquid candy than a refreshing beverage. Striking the right chord of sweetness in these store-bought drinks can be a challenge, but the flavor of Milo's sweet tea introduces just enough sweetness to keep parched palates content. The black tea used in the recipe doesn't offer any bitter or harsh notes, and the resulting sipper is smooth and easy to gulp.

Look for Milo's in the cold section at your local market. Since Milo's straightforward recipe doesn't include any sort of stabilizers, these packages are kept in chilled areas at grocery stores. When served in ice-filled glasses or a pretty glass pitcher and garnished with slices of lemon or sprigs of mint, your guests may not suspect that you took the shortcut to hosting and bought this item from a shop. Plus, once a jug is stocked in your kitchen, you can not only enjoy refreshing glasses of sweet tea but also use it in recipes, like adding sweet tea to barbecue sauce.