Summertime brings a diverse range of beverages, but the most favored and the best ones are the icy cold ones. Also, if you are a tea fanatic, iced teas won’t be a stranger to you. Iced teas saw a boom as a way to get a refreshing cold drink and to fill your craving for tea.
Drinking tea cold in the summer dates back to the 1800s, and instances of people using ice to cool it faster were present. But making a standalone tea doesn’t go well with modernization. Here different blends come into play.
While teas have gained popularity over the years, liquors have been among the favorite beverages for the majority of people. Hence, what happens when you mix the two; can you fill the craving for both drinks with one mixed cocktail of these two beverages?
It brings us to the question, what liquor goes with iced tea?
The answer is simple. Almost every liquor can be added to the iced tea to make your perfect blend of iced tea and liquor cocktail. It can be vodka, whiskey, gin, tequila, brandy, or rum. Also, you can add two or more of these liquors to your iced tea.
Here, you will have an in-depth view of some cocktails for each liquor type. So, continue reading for exotic and refreshing blends.
Liquor and Iced Tea Blends
The fame behind iced tea cocktails started from Arnold Palmer, which was an iced tea and lemonade blend made by a golfer; hence, named after him.
It started the spark necessary for blending iced tea with other beverages. It wasn’t far after that alcoholic variation of Arnold Palmer came to be.
But it didn’t stop there, more blends started to appear based on the tea, additive, garnishing, and liquor added to it.
1. Whiskey Iced Teas
The best liquor for most people for their iced teas is whiskey. Why? It is because the smoky and chocolatey texture of whisky with a slight burning sensation in your throat shares the same feeling as drinking your tea hot.
That’s why; countless pairings and blends of whiskey and iced teas are out there. Starting with Arnold Palmer, you can prepare the non-alcoholic iced tea blend as usual and add whiskey to it to make a spiked Arnold Palmer.
Also, you can try out Bourbon Iced tea, mango iced tea with whiskey, or an Irish tea party cocktail, to name a few.
2. Rum Iced Teas
Rum iced teas are popular because of the sweet taste they provide with a reinvigorating effect. Among the other liquors, rum has the sweetest taste unless there is added sugar in others. So, it is a perfect mix with bitter teas.
Also, the same as whiskey, Arnold Palmer can have rum in it to make it spiked, but that’s not all; other options include Mad Hatter’s tea party cocktail and Thai spiked Iced tea, which can have both rum and vodka in it.
3. Vodka Iced Teas
Arnold Palmer has the most blends when it comes to different liquors, but the perfect match with it is vodka. It is because if brewed right, vodka is flavorless.
Other examples of vodka and iced teas include Tea Tini, and the perfect iced tea cocktail for Christmas, i.e., Mistletoe Martini.
Also, check this article for a simple and quick recipe for iced tea vodka.
4. Tequila Iced Teas
Tequila, the party drink, is the best if you want to chill, and you will be glad to know that you can make spiked iced teas with tequilas. Also, what more can be perfect than a combination of tea and tequila to keep you going with bursting energy, right?
But before going into the iced tea tequila cocktails, check out various types of tequila and how to enjoy them here.
With a play on words, iced tea-quila is a blend of iced tea and tequila. Also, same as the other blends, it can be added to Arnold Palmer to make an iced tea cocktail or made as Jalisco high tea or iced tea margaritas.
5. Brandy Iced Teas
Brandies are the only liquors with the fewest varieties in spiked iced teas. The underlying reason is the overwhelming taste and alcohol percentage in it.
However, it doesn’t mean there are no brandy iced tea cocktails. You guessed it right here, Arnold Palmer, again, is something you can add brandy to for making a spiked brandy iced tea.
6. Gin Iced Teas
Gin has several variations like its other counterparts and can also be used for making a spiked Arnold Palmer. Gin has a fruity aroma, so it is often used together with other liquors to heighten flavor profiles.
An example of gin iced tea is Earl Grey iced tea cocktail, while some blends with this liquor can be viewed from this article. However, the most popular choice for a Thanksgiving iced tea cocktail combines brandy and gin to make Sangria.
While iced teas and liquors seem like a perfect blend, you can also do the opposite, i.e., use hot teas with liquors in winter to make a warm cocktail.
Long Island Iced Tea
It won’t be right to end the article without discussing long island iced tea. This blend combines four liquors, i.e., vodka, rum, tequila, and gin, with a liqueur.
But the most surprising aspect about it is the absence of tea and still having the name “iced tea” in its name. The underlying reason is the resemblance it shares with iced teas.
Takeaway
To conclude, now you know which liquors are the best for iced teas and different recipes for each liquor with iced tea. But you also have the option to add more than one liquor to your iced tea.
Hence, whiskey, vodka, gin, brandy, tequila, and rum are all the types of liquors that go together with iced tea, each catering to a specific taste profile. You can also mix in liqueurs to have a more fruity or sweet iced tea cocktail.
