‘Twisted Tea runs deep in Philly’: We drink more Twisted Tea Light than anywhere else in the nation

Now this is twisted — even for you, Philly.

According to a heat map recently released by Twisted Tea — the drink for people who think there’s not enough alcohol in tea, or not enough tea in alcohol — Philadelphia is the epicenter of consumption for Twisted Tea Light.

Oh, Philly.

Philadelphia doesn’t just grow brighter than anywhere else on the country in this heat map, it burns like a dying red giant star ready to go supernova. One that will regret its choices in the morning.

We can only imagine there’s a similar heat map for hangovers.

The folks over at Twisted Tea and its parent company, the Boston Beer Company, did not return requests for hard data on their hard tea heat map.

But according to the map, Los Angeles is the only place that comes even close to being as hot as Philly over Twisted Tea Light, known to its devotees as Twea (tea + twisted) Light.

Shane Casper, 27, a South Philly native who lives in Blackwood, is a self-proclaimed Twea Light aficionado.

“It’s refreshing, and is light enough to drink all day without ending up a puddle,” he said. “And most importantly, it’s easy to chug.”

Casper, a union longshoreman, said he drinks two to three cases of Twisted Tea Light a week, but that’s because he only drinks one or two days a week. He said Twisted Tea Light is superior to the original Twisted Tea, without question.

A former bouncer at Keenan’s Irish Pub in North Wildwood, N.J. — where Twisted Tea is extremely popular — Casper said he wasn’t surprised the Philly area was the epicenter for Twisted Tea Light consumption.

“Twisted Tea runs deep in Philly, mainly Tea Light,” he said. “I’m not surprised we love it, I’m surprised other places don’t."

Casper said he’s made friends with strangers at bars he’s challenged to “Tea offs," which are chug races to see who can finish a bottle of Twisted Tea first. “Tea bombs,” which are half of a Twisted Tea poured into a cup and chugged like a shot, are also a popular way to bond in the Greater Philadelphia area, according to Casper.

While his reputation as a Twisted Tea Light drinker has gotten him some good ribbing over the years, Capser said he’s proud of his beverage of choice.

“And if being a giant guy with a beard holding a Twisted Tea Light in my hand makes me a target, guess it comes with the tea life,” he said.

Many local residents who are also living the tea life chimed in on Twitter about the brand’s heat map of Philly.

Some thought particular sections of the city were solely responsible for consuming such large amounts of Twisted Tea Light.

Others felt they alone were responsible for getting Philly’s Twisted Tea Light numbers up.

Then, there were those who attributed Twisted Tea Light’s success in the Philadelphia region to some long-standing traditions where alcohol often plays a supporting role.

Some even had the gall to question Philadelphia’s loyalty to Twisted Tea.

But for Casper, Twisted Tea — chugged, not stirred — is undoubtedly "the superior way to enjoy,” life, alcohol, and the universe as we know it.

“It’s almost impossible to find a bar in this area that doesn’t have someone holding a Twisted Tea or a bartender lining up Tea Bombs for a group of people,” he said.