Paul Kushner
I love serving up sweet tea cocktails because they mix classic Southern sweet tea with just the right amount of spirit. It’s a perfect balance that brings out a smooth, crisp taste in every sip. These drinks are great for any occasion, fitting in perfectly from casual backyard get-togethers to vibrant rooftop parties. They’re easy to customize, which means there’s something for everyone. The blend of sweetness and alcohol makes for a refreshing twist that never fails to please. I highly recommend checking out this roundup for some amazing recipes.
This Bourbon Sweet Tea is as simple and classic as its original, non-alcoholic counterpart. It’s as easy as making a fresh pot of sweet black tea and spiking it with an entire bottle of bourbon. The sweetness of the sugar gets a nice smokey finish from the bourbon and plenty of lemon wheels to infuse this tea with a zesty tang.
Sweet Tea is a Southern treat, but this cocktail comes from the North’s most iconic city, New York. Hailing from a famous speakeasy bar, Sweet Tea Smash is an ode to the South, featuring Tennessee whiskey infused with muddled mint, lemon, and cane-sugar syrup. In true northern fashion, this recipe uses unsweetened black tea. The dash of Strega liqueur adds a rich botanical flavor to this sweet tea cocktail.
A Southern rendition of the classic Moscow Mule, the Kentucky Mule Iced Tea Cocktail is a refreshing and well-rounded cocktail that would make a great dinner party beverage. It adds fresh sweet tea to bourbon instead of vodka and swaps lime juice for fresh lemon juice. The ginger beer adds a bubbly and spicy finish.
This bright and cheerful Spiked Ice Tea Vodka cocktail has you prepare your own unique sweet tea by blending Meyer-lemon black tea with honey, lemon, and orange liqueur. The fresh citrus juices and liqueurs create a flavor profile bursting with the taste of spring. It’s an easy cocktail to make by throwing all the ingredients in a tall glass and stirring with a spoon.
A better name for this cocktail would be spiced citrusy sweet tea. This unconventional bourbon cocktail has you make a black tea infusion with star anise and cinnamon. The citrusy sweet part comes from the addition of orange juice. Therefore it's a sweet tea with orange juice. The spicy tea and sweet, tangy citrus get a wonderful smokiness from the bourbon.
Combining Southern drinking traditions with drinking traditions south of the border, this recipe for sweet tea margaritas is the ultimate refresher for Cinco de Mayo or Taco Tuesdays. It adds equal parts sweet tea and lime juice to a cocktail shaker with tequila and triple sec. Sweet tea is a great substitute for simple syrup, adding a nice dry finish from the tea tannins.
This elegant prosecco sweet tea cocktail blends black tea, honey, and lemon with orange liqueur and vodka. Topping it off with dry, bubbly prosecco tampers the sweetness. This versatile recipe gives you the measurements and instructions to make both a single cocktail and enough for a small dinner party.
This elegant prosecco sweet tea cocktail blends black tea, honey, and lemon with orange liqueur and vodka. Topping it off with dry, bubbly prosecco tampers the sweetness. This versatile recipe gives you the measurements and instructions to make both a single cocktail and enough for a small dinner party.
The name of this cocktail alone is enough to win anyone over! This delicious bourbon sweet tea cocktail recipe has you infuse a gallon of sweet tea with fresh citrus fruits. The fruit-infused sweet tea gets an extra citrus blast from blood orange liqueur. This recipe makes enough for a back porch pitcher to enjoy with your closest friends.
Peaches are some of the South’s most prized summer harvests. This sweet and summery Peach Flower Tea Cocktail blends Peach schnapps and white wine with lemon and bitters in a cocktail shaker. The final touch is topping it off with black tea to cut the sweetness of the Schnapps and accentuate the dryness of the white wine.
Sweet Tea Vodka Lemonade Mojitos are fun and easy mason-jar cocktails that you can make ahead of time. Like a mojito, this recipe starts by muddling mint and lemon juice. Instead of using sweet tea, this recipe streamlines the process by using sweet tea vodka. The final ingredient is tangy, sweet lemonade.
This fresh, all-natural, antioxidant-rich cocktail uses unsweetened green tea and bourbon for an earthy and smokey foundation. The pitcher blends green tea and bourbon with fresh peach juice, muddled citrus and mint, and freshly sliced strawberries for a perfect spiked sweet tea to serve at a summertime dinner party.
Arnold Palmer is a famed golf pro that inspired a namesake beverage that’s a staple summertime favorite. Blending equal parts sweet tea and lemonade, there’s no better marriage of summertime drinks than the Arnold Palmer. While you can mix the classic Arnold Palmers for your kids, you can use this Spiked Arnold Palmer recipe, using both unflavored and citrus-flavored vodka.
The Kentucky sweet tea cocktail is another peach tea-inspired recipe to satisfy your sweet tooth and your alcohol craving with every gulp. This recipe comes compliments of Jim Beam Bourbon, which combines a hefty pour of bourbon with sweet tea and peach schnapps. Serving this beverage over a lot of ice is key to watering down its sweetness.
Raspberries are an elegant summer fruit that dresses up any fruit salad or cocktail. This Spiked Raspberry Sweet Tea gives you a double dose of raspberries by using raspberry-flavored vodka and fresh raspberries in a cocktail shaker with sweet tea and lemon. The result is a well-balanced sweet and sour beverage bursting with real raspberry flavors.
