Virginia's "Sweet Tea Line"

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Does a "Sweet Tea" line in Virginia really exist? I'm afraid so. It didn't used to be this way, but when you get north of Richmond, its harder and harder to find places that will serve you sweet tea- or even give you a choice. In Northern Virginia and close to the District, you may get blank stares when asking for that sweet goodness- even if you're a native like myself who was raised on it. 50 years ago you could get sweet tea state wide. From Leesburg to Danville from Winchester to Virginia Beach- it was the drink of choice among Southerners, and Virginia was no exception. However, because of a major recent influx of Northerners and Midwesterners, Sweet Tea is almost extinct in many places of the Commonwealth. Even in Richmond- you will be offered "sweet" or "unsweet tea" but only if asked. The problem lies in a gradual homogenization of Virgina into a more Mid-Atlantic state, rather than a Southern one. A litmus test as to whether you are truly in Dixie was done- and it was tested in Virginia. Why they didn't do Kentucky (our neighbor state) is beyond me, but I suppose because of Virginia's Eastern seaboard location, we have had a lot more northerners into our state.

As Northerners increased into Northern Virginia and other areas, the demand for "sweet tea" has declined. So a new un-Virginian culture has emerged. In Northern Virginia the only places you may get sweet tea are roadside diners that have BBQ, and fast food "Southern" chain places such as "Red, Hot, and Blue". You will rarely find anywhere in the D.C. area that may serve sweet tea, outside of Chic-Fil-A or a Cracker Barrell. In Central Virginia, while the effect is not as devastating, it remains similar. Richmond offers both sweet and unsweet tea, but some places even in Richmond- that quintessentially Southern town, don't even serve sweet tea. In Charlottesville which as also become Yankeefied, sweet tea is harder to find than in other areas of Central Virginia. Southside Virginia, however, has remained largely unaffected with at least 98% of establishments carrying sweet tea. This is sad thing for Virginia, as many are no longer considering it a truly Southern state but now a more Hodge podge of Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, and Southern, with a lightly buttered Southern way of life as opposed to its past. However, people should take heart. You can get sweet tea here still -even though you may have to look for it more and more, as Virginia, (and even North Carolina) merge into the Mid-Atlantic region. For more information about the study of sweet tea (or lack thereof) in Virginia, visit The Sweet Tea Mason Dixon Line

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