Iced Tea Cocktails

The key to a perfect iced tea cocktail is finding that perfect balance of ingredients--spirits, juices, herbs--and having them really complement each other. Whether you want to keep it classic with an Arnold Palmer (recipe below) or give it a little southern flare (recipe also below), an iced tea cocktail is the perfect way to sip the summer in the best of taste.

Here are some of our favorite iced tea cocktails, all perfect for enjoyment by the pool, on the beach, or even on your front porch.

Have any additional recipes to share? Leave them in our comments section below!

Arnold Palmer

(From MyRecipes.com)
This is the classic recipe for an Arnold Palmer, which in its simplest form is iced tea and lemonade. The addition of bourbon gives it a nice kick and mixes incredibly well with the flavor of the lemons and the mild tea.

Ingredients
4 cups boiling water
5 regular-sized tea bags
¾ cups sugar
1 tsp lemon zest
4 cups cold water
1 cup bourbon (we recommend the Baby Bourbon from Tuthilltown Spirits)
½ cup fresh lemon juice
lemon slices, for garnish

Preparation
Pour boiling water over tea bags, sugar, and lemon zest in a large bowl. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Cover and steep for 5 minutes. Pour the mixture through a fine strainer into a large pitcher, discarding the tea bags and zest. Stir in the cold water, bourbon and fresh lemon juice. Cover and chill for 30 minutes, up to 12 hours. Serve over ice. Garnish with lemon slices.

Southern Iced Tea

(From Deep South Dish)

Ingredients
1 qt size Mason Jar
1 oz light rum
1 oz vodka
1 oz gin
4 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice or lemonade
3 oz unsweetened iced tea
1-2 oz of simple syrup, to taste
sprigs of mint, for garnish
slices of lemon, for garnish

Preparation
Fill the Mason jar with ice. Add the rum, vodka, gin, lemon juice or lemonade, iced tea and simple syrup. Stir completely, and adjust taste and sweetness as needed. Garnish with a slice of lemon and a sprig of mint.

Drunken Peach Iced Tea

(From SheKnows.com)

Ingredients
1-1/2 oz peach liqueur
1 oz spiced rum
1 oz peach schnapps
½ oz vodka
5 oz sweet tea
Lemon wedge

Preparation
Combine all of the spirits in a large glass with ice. Stir the iced tea into the glass. Garnish with a lemon wedge.

ZEN Dew Iced Tea

(From SheKnows.com)

Ingredients
4 parts prepared Gyokura Green Tea (steps below)
1-1/2 parts ZEN Green Tea Liqueur
1-1/2 parts Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey
Lime Zest
Lime Wedge, for garnish

Preparation
To prepare the green tea, combine 1 part cold and 5 parts boiling water. Use ¼ cup of dry tea leaves to 2 cups cold water. Steep 3-4 minutes. Strain and chill. Combine and stir all ingredients. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Mist Iced Tea

(From Drinksmixer.com)

Ingredients
1 oz Canadian Mist whisky
5 oz sweetened iced tea
1 dash lemon juice
1 splash lemon-lime soda

Preparation
Combine the Canadian Mist whisky and lemon juice in a highball glass filled with ice. Add the iced tea, top with lemon-lime soda, and serve.