Simple sodas? Basic beverages? No way. Today’s diners expect restaurants to offer non-alcoholic drinks that are as exciting as the gourmet cocktails and craft beers that have become so popular. To satisfy diners’ higher expectations more and more restaurants are adding specialty iced teas and house-made or freshly muddled lemonades to their drink menus. These gourmet classics are stand-outs on their own, but many operators are adding additional appeal by mixing in on-trend flavors, such as raspberry, chocolate, pepper or spice and citrus. Others have even created unique tea-ades, blending iced tea and lemonade along with unexpected flavor combinations, such as hibiscus and strawberry. Diners of all ages and backgrounds say they are thirsty for new and different beverages. Innovative iced teas and lemonades are an easy—and profitable—way to quench diners’ thirst and build your liquid assets.