June is National Iced Tea Month—a whole month dedicated to celebrating America’s claim to fame when it comes to tea. The 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis is credited for igniting the iced tea craze, but the American south created its own iced tea staple—sweet tea—during the late 19th century.
The first known sweet tea recipe was published in 1879 in a magazine called Housekeeping in Old Virginia. Sweet tea was first seen as a luxury, since it required ingredients that were expensive at the time: tea, sugar, and ice. No matter where you are in the country these days, you can most likely find some version of a sweet tea on a restaurant menu or in the bottled beverage section of your local grocery.
To celebrate National Iced Tea Month, we’re boozing up our sweet tea with a dash of bourbon for a grown up version of this refreshing American classic. Cheers!
Recipe created for Teatulia by Tea Foodie.
Sweet Tea Cocktail for Two
Ingredients:
- 8 oz. water
- 2 tea bags Teatulia Black Tea
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 thick slices orange
- 1 small sprig tarragon (or basil)
- 2 oz. bourbon
- Ice
Preparation:
Bring water to a boil and pour over tea bags. Steep 3 minutes then remove and discard teabags. Stir in sugar until it dissolves then let the sweetened tea cool to room temperature.
Cut one of the orange slices in half and set both halves in a pint glass. Pull about half the leaves off the sprig of tarragon and add them to the glass with the orange. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to muddle the orange and tarragon together until the orange slices (pulp and rind) are well crushed.
Fill the glass half way with ice and add bourbon and cooled tea. Stir a few times then strain through a sieve into two cocktail glasses. Add a couple of ice cubes to each glass and garnish with remaining tarragon and orange to taste.
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