Sweet tea is the perfect American-made drink to celebrate the Fourth of July – that is, once you add some American-made bourbon to it.
Welcome to the Sweet Tea Smash – the sneakily refreshing cocktail that’ll make you see fireworks if you’re not careful. It was only a few years ago that the Sweet Tea Smash was invented in the famous New York City speakeasy, “Please Don’t Tell” or PDT. PDT is known for creating elegant, modern classics like the Great Pumpkin that honestly should have been invented decades ago.
This refreshingly caffeinated smash cocktail is a variation on the classic Whiskey Smash which follows the “bourbon + sweetener + lemon juice + mint = a good time” formula. The Sweet Tea Smash doesn’t veer too far off course, it just adds an ounce of unsweetened ice tea into the mix. If you’re feeling especially daring, follow the original recipe and add a teaspoon of Strega. An Italian liqueur, Strega was invented in 1860 and contains over 70 unique herbs and spices from across the globe such as Ceylon cinnamon, mint, saffron, and juniper. That European dash makes the cocktail even more delicious and even more American, when you think about it.
So celebrate the Fourth of July by mixing up a batch (or two) of the Sweet Tea Smash and for extra points, dump a bit of it into the harbor of your choice.
Sweet Tea Smash
Equipment
- 1 Cocktail Shaker
- 1 Muddler
- 1 Collins Glass
Ingredients
- 2 wedges Lemon
- 4 leaves Mint
- 1 ounce Bourbon
- 1 ounce Iced Tea (unsweetened)
- 1 tsp Simple Syrup
- 1 tsp Strega (optional)
- 1 wheel Lemon (garnish)
- 1 sprig Mint (garnish)
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, muddle together 2 wedges of lemon and 4 leaves of mint.
- To the cocktail shaker, add 1 ounce of Bourbon, 1 ounce of Unsweetened Iced Tea, 1 tsp of Simple Syrup, and 1 tsp of Strega (optional).
- Fill the cocktail shaker with ice and shake until chilled.
- Strain into a Collins glass filled with fresh ice.
- Garnish with a lemon wheel and a sprig of mint.
