Iced Tea Cocktails: Party Hard Tea

Hard Iced Teas - Spec's Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods

There’s not much better than a cold glass of iced tea on a hot summer day, unless, of course you have hard tea on hand!

On June 13th we celebrate National Iced Tea Day. Though you may be inclined to celebrate more traditional iced teas, like sweetened and unsweetened, make sure you don’t overlook the equally refreshing hard iced tea at your summer soirée.

Whether you’re looking for a quick and easy beverage you can whip up in seconds or something with a little more pizzazz, we’ve got you covered! Check out these iced tea cocktail recipes you can make for the Texas summer!

EZ Bourbon Tea

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ oz. bourbon
  • ½ oz. limoncello
  • 4 oz. freshly brewed iced tea
  • lemon wedge for garnish

Directions

  1. In a double old-fashioned glass, add bourbon and limoncello.
  2. Fill the glass with ice.
  3. Top with iced tea.
  4. Garnish with lemon wedge.

2 Ingredient Sweet Tea Cocktail

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Add ingredients over ice.
  2. Stir and enjoy.

Kentucky Tea Cocktail

Ingredients

  • 2 oz. bourbon whiskey
  • 1/2 oz. lemon juice
  • 3 oz. lemon/mint/eucalyptus infusion* (directions below)
  • Garnish: fresh mint

Directions

  1. Fill an old-fashioned glass with crushed ice.
  2. Add bourbon and lemon juice.
  3. Add lemon/mint/eucalyptus infusion and stir to incorporate.
  4. Garnish with a fresh mint sprig.

*Lemon-Mint-Eucalyptus Tea Infusion

Ingredients

  • 1 bag mint tea
  • lemon peel
  • 1 eucalyptus leaf
  • 1 cup hot water
  • honey

Directions

  1. Add tea, lemon, and eucalyptus to one cup of hot (not boiling) water.
  2. Steep for 15 minutes, then strain.
  3. Add honey to taste.
  4. Chill until ready to mix the Kentucky Tea

Ginger Tea Cocktail

Ingredients

  • 1 oz. Cognac
  • 2 oz. green tea (fresh brewed, chilled)
  • ½ oz. simple syrup (or Splenda)
  • 3 mint leaves
  • 3 pieces ginger
  • garnish: 1 mint leaf

Directions

  1. In a mixing glass, add the ginger, mint leaves, and simple syrup and muddle very well.
  2. Pour the Cognac and fresh tea over top and muddle a little more.
  3. Strain into an old-fashioned glass filled with fresh ice.
  4. Garnish with a mint leaf and enjoy.

Royal Tea

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 oz. Gin
  • 2 oz. Earl Grey Tea (freshly brewed, chilled)
  • splash of lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon sugar (to taste)
  • garnish: lime wheels

Directions

  1. Pour the ingredients into an old-fashioned glass filled with ice.
  2. Stir well.
  3. Garnish with lime wheels.

Irish Tea Party

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Pour the absinthe into a rocks glass. Tilt and rotate the glass to swirl the absinthe around the inside of the glass. Tip the glass to allow the absinthe to reach the rim of the glass, continuing to swirl. Once the glass is completely coated, pour out the remaining absinthe.
  2. Add ice and pour the whiskey over it.
  3. Add the green tea and garnish with a lime slice.

Tea Tini

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ oz. vodka
  • 1 oz. tea (chilled)
  • 1 tsp. honey (or simple syrup, to taste)
  • ¼ oz. lemon juice (fresh, to taste)
  • garnish: ​lemon wedge
  • optional: sugar for glass rim

Directions

  1. Brew a cup of tea using the recommended time and brewing temperature indicated on the tea bag. Place it in the refrigerator to chill thoroughly.
  2. If you like, rim a cocktail glass with sugar by rubbing the rim with a lemon wedge then dipping it into a small dish of sugar.
  3. Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes.
  4. Shake well and strain into the prepared glass or a chilled cocktail glass.
  5. Garnish with a lemon wedge and enjoy!

Spiked Raspberry Iced Tea

Ingredients

  • 8 cups water
  • 2 family-sized tea bags or 6 regular-sized
  • 1/2-1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 1/2 cups Chambord Liqueur
  • 1/2 cup Vodka
  • mint springs, raspberry, oranges, etc for garnish

Directions

  1. Bring water to a boil then remove from the heat.
  2. Add the tea bags, cover and let steep (soak) for 15 minutes.
  3. Remove the tea bags then add the sugar and baking soda, stir until sugar dissolves.
  4. Add in Chambord and Vodka if desired.
  5. Let the tea cool.
  6. Pour into ice-filled glasses.
  7. Garnish with your choice of a mint sprig, raspberries, or orange wheel

Jalisco High Tea

Ingredients

Directions

  1. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine all of the ingredients.
  2. Shake well.
  3. Strain over fresh ice into a highball glass and enjoy.

Hard Citrus Iced Tea

Ingredients

  • 1 black tea bag
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 1/2 oz. Citroen Vodka
  • 1 tbsp. honey (or agave or 1 pack of artificial sweetener)
  • 1 lemon wedge
  • mint for garnish

Directions

  1. Boil the water.
  2. Add the tea bag and honey and let steep for 5 minutes, then place in the refrigerator to chill. You can also add the tea to a shaker with ice and shake for a minute to chill the tea immediately.
  3. In a large glass with ice, add the sweetened tea along with the vodka and a squeeze of the lemon wedge.
  4. Stir and garnish with mint.

Hard Sweet Tea

Ingredients

  • 2 oz. Sweet Tea Vodka
  • 1/2 oz. simple syrup
  • 1/2 oz. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
  • 4 oz. fresh-brewed iced black tea
  • lemon wheel

Directions

  1. Shake all ingredients together with ice in a cocktail mixer.
  2. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice cubes.
  3. Garnish with a lemon wheel or mint sprig.

Rum Tea Dumpty Cocktail

Ingredients

  • 12 oz. sweet tea
  • 3 oz. White Rum
  • 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • ice as needed
  • lemon slices for garnish

Directions

  1. Place the iced tea in a liquid measuring cup. Add in the rum.
  2. Squeeze in the lemon juice and stir.
  3. To serve, pour into two cocktail glasses (with ice, if needed) and garnish with lemon slices.

Sweet Tea Vodka Lemonade Mojito

Ingredients

  • 4oz. Sweet Tea Vodka
  • 1 lemon
  • 10-12 fresh mint leaves
  • 1 cup lemonade (could use club soda, or a mixture)
  • ice

Directions

  1. Squeeze each half of the lemon into two 16 oz. mason jars or tumblers then place lemon half in glass.
  2. Add 5-6 fresh mint leaves to each glass then muddle with a wooden spoon.
  3. Fill glasses with ice then add 2 oz. of sweet tea vodka and 1/2 cup of lemonade or club soda (or a mixture) to each glass.
  4. Screw on top and shake to combine or stir to combine then serve.
Spec's
Owned and operated by the same Houston family since 1962, Spec’s is a true destination shopping experience. We now operate over 150 stores all over the great state of Texas and offer a large selection of wines, spirits and finer foods.

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