Cold glass of ice tea; photo by MzScarlett / A.K.A. Michelle on Flickr (use permitted with attribution).
Official State Hospitality Beverage of South Carolina
South Carolina grown tea was designated the official state hospitality beverage of South Carolina in 1995. All State Foods & Beverages
South Carolina is the first place in the United States where tea was grown (planted in the Lowcountry outside of Charleston). Direct descendants of those original plants are growing today at the Charleston Tea Plantation; a lush, subtropical tea farm near the historic city of Charleston.