If you serve a lot of iced tea, it may be easier to order it in wholesale, bulk quantities. This saves you from having to brew tea every day or every couple of days, which can be quite a demanding endeavor since it involves hot water and then chilling all that tea down. In most areas, there are several companies that will deliver bulk, wholesale iced tea to your restaurant or bar. So, it pays to take your time, consider your options, and ask these questions before ordering.
Is the Tea Sweetened or Unsweetened?
Unsweetened tea is often the most versatile to order. If you also use and serve sweetened tea, you can always sweeten some of the unsweetened tea yourself. The easiest way to do this is by creating a concentrated simple syrup using sugar and water. Then, you can stir the simple syrup into water and you won't have to worry about the sugar dissolving.
If you really only serve sweetened tea, however, you will want to order it already sweetened from the wholesaler. This saves you the hassle of sweetening yourself. All in all, just make sure you know what you're getting — sweetened or unsweetened — so there are no surprises when your tea arrives.
What Does the Tea Come In?
Wholesale iced tea can be packaged in various ways. Some companies may send it out in big, keg-like barrels. Other companies may send it out in gallon jugs. Still, other companies may send it in bags. Make sure that you're happy with the way the tea will be sent, and that you'll have a way to store it once it arrives in its containers. You may need to make plans and buy smaller containers to decant the tea into once it arrives.
How Long Will the Tea Last?
Iced tea does not always have as long of a shelf life as other beverages. Since it contains tiny bits of tea particulate matter, it can spoil sooner than you'd think. So, always ask how long the tea will last before you order. This way, you can make sure you only order enough to last until the use-by date.
Ordering wholesale iced tea is so much simpler than brewing and making iced tea in-house. If you find a company that sells it in containers that work for your setup, you're golden. In time, you'll adapt to the finer details of their ordering protocols.
For more information, contact a local wholesale iced tea supplier.
