Is The Sweet Tea At Chick-Fil-A Actually Brewed Fresh Every Day?

According to Chick-fil-A, its beloved sweet tea is really and truly brewed fresh every day. As a Georgia-based brand, we'd expect nothing less for what's considered the "house wine" of the South. But what "fresh-brewed" actually means, and what goes on behind the scenes, is more interesting than you'd expect. The go-to answer is right on the Chick-Fil-A's website, where it explains: "Freshly-brewed each day from a blend of tea leaves. Available sweetened with real cane sugar." 

The sweet tea is certainly one reason why we think ordering the usual soda is a big mistake when ordering at Chick-fil-A. The chain uses a proprietary tea blend created with a legit English tea company, Tetley, that's been around since 1837. Chick-fil-A claims the tea was also developed to pair exceptionally well with lemon and sugar.

While the Southern chain doesn't delve too deep into the specifics of tea-making, we know a bit about the process from social media and employees' posts. Each restaurant uses calibrated commercial brewing machines to make massive batches of tea. As expected, the machines unleash steaming hot water over large tea bags, then employees pour in white cane sugar while it's still warm to ensure uniform sweetness. 

It may seem like a small detail, but this is actually what makes sweet tea different from classic iced tea. Adding sugar in after the tea has cooled just isn't the same. And because the demand is so high, many locations will have to brew multiple batches daily to keep up with the tea fiends.

Remember that brewing tea daily doesn't mean each cup is lovingly made individually. Your cup might have been brewed recently, or it could have been sitting there for an hour, depending on how busy the location is. Tea is a beverage that changes quickly. A cup poured right after brewing will taste brighter and more aromatic than one that's been sitting out for several hours. It's why daily, multiple brews are important, and why Chick-fil-A takes pains to emphasize this.

On Reddit, employees explained the process. One notes, "We make about 100 gallons every morning. More on weekends/holidays. So, it was brewed fresh that day. But not when you ordered it." Another employee promises: "I can guarantee you that tea was no more than 4 hours old. It's brewed fresh throughout the day." The type of water also matters, which is why you always want to use fresh water for the best-tasting tea. It's most likely why Chick-fil-A's website also states: "We use filtered water to make our tea so there's no cloudy appearance once chilled."

Chick-fil-A's sweet tea has a solid reputation, but it fell in the middle of our fast-food iced teas ranking. Some reviewers think it's too sweet, while others claim it's the best fast food tea in the South. But perhaps best of all, you can buy Chick-fil-A's drinks by the gallon, including their sweet tea and lemonade.