Well, this is a big subject. I think things are worse with the HFCS, and it’s just nuts to me that even Lipton, or whatever, teas are loaded up with that stuff. Given the choice, I’ll pick a can of Pepsi over the mass market iced teas. The HFCS just is more nasty to me in tea.
At home, I use maybe two teaspoons of unrefined Mexican sugar in a glass of tea, and a 1/4 lemon. Does the job for me. Brewing depends on what kind of urgency there is. If there’s all day, I’ll use a big commercial bag in a big bucket of cold water. In a hurry, I’ll heat a glass of water in a pan, then put a single size bag in there. It’s ready in just a couple of minutes. Needs lots of ice, though. But I swear, this beats the hell out of non-fresh stuff, and it’s an awful lot cheaper. Even the lemon "flavor" in Lipton bottled stuff tastes rancid to me. I know fresh lemon is a little expensive, but it really is worth it, and I’ll bet there’s a little vitamin C benefit there you may not be getting in the bottled stuff.
I’ve mentioned the Galco World Market for sodas in Los Angeles. Amazing selection.
-Scott Lindgren