Sweet Tea Old Fashioned

This sweet tea old fashioned requires very few ingredients, but because of this, we want to opt for the highest quality possible. We first start with a peel of orange and a few dashes of bitters. Muddle the two together in an old fashioned glass until the oils in fruit are released. Next we add 2 ounces of high-quality Kentucky bourbon and a hefty pour of chilled Red Diamond Sweet Tea. Finish it off with an extra-large ice cube and enjoy. Seriously, it’s that simple.

Sweet tea is a staple here in the South, and it’s no secret that my go-to fave is from a locally founded company, Red Diamond. Made simply with tea leaves, water, and sugar, Red Diamond Sweet Tea is free of preservatives and concentrates and has that perfect classic flavor that every glass of good Southern sweet tea should. The combination of bourbon and sweet tea makes for an old fashioned that is slightly sweeter and more drinkable than the classic cocktail. Because there are so few ingredients and very uncomplicated preparation involved, this is a great cocktail to batch for a group of friends.

I hope you’ll give this sweet tea old fashioned a try sometime this fall! Be sure to pick up a gallon of Red Diamond Sweet Tea and give a toast on my behalf. Have a great weekend and happy fall y’all!

If you like this sweet tea old fashioned you should try:

Bourbon Ginger Sweet Tea

Warm Apple Tea

Sweet Tea Hot Toddy

Pinot Margaritas

Sweet Tea Old Fashioned

Print Recipe

This sweet tea old fashioned is a Southern spin on the classic bourbon cocktail!

Author: Kate
Prep Time: 2
Total Time: 2 minutes
Yield: 1
Category: Cocktail

Ingredients

Orange peel
2 dashes orange bitters
2 ounces bourbon
6 ounces chilled sweet tea

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Instructions

Muddle the strip of orange peel and bitters together in an old fashioned glass until the orange peel has released some oils. You’ll notice a strong orange scent in the glass. Add the bourbon and sweet tea. Add a large ice cube and enjoy!

Bourbon Ginger Sweet Tea

This is a seriously simple cocktail to throw together. Kentucky bourbon, lime juice, and ginger beer are combined with sweet tea and poured over a tall glass of ice to make a cocktail that is kind of a mash-up of a bourbon mule and sweet tea. Because no shaking or blending is needed, this also happens to be a great cocktail to batch for a crowd and share on the last of this season.

Making the Drinks

To make a really good bourbon ginger sweet tea we need really good ingredients. Sweet tea is a staple here in the South, and it’s no secret that my go-to fave is from a locally founded company, Red Diamond. Made simply with tea leaves, water, and sugar, Red Diamond Sweet Tea is free of preservatives and concentrates and has that perfect classic flavor that every glass of good Southern sweet tea should. To the tea we add fresh lime juice, quality Kentucky bourbon, and just a smidge of ginger beer. The lime juice and ginger beer balance out the boozy sweetness of the bourbon and sweet tea, and all together these ingredients make up a cocktail that is seriously easy to drink. Pace yourselves, people.

If you’d like to batch this bourbon ginger sweet tea for a crowd, pull out your calculators and get computing! I recommend stirring the ingredients together just before serving and allowing guests to pour their own over glasses of ice. If you want to make these ahead, just leave out the ice and the ginger beer until just before serving to keep the cocktail slightly fizzy and to prevent it from getting watered down. Serve each tea in a tall glass and garnish with a lime wedge if you’re feeling extra fancy.

If you are doing all you can to soak in these last days of summer, give this drink a try. It’s seriously refreshing and makes for a great treat to sip on day or night. Many thanks to Red Diamond for sponsoring this post and to you all for supporting brands that make Wood & Spoon possible. If you give the recipe a try, let me know what you think in the comments section below! Happy Monday!

If you like this recipe you should check out:

Warm Apple Tea

Sweet Tea Hot Toddy

Pinot Margaritas

Grapefruit Moscow Mules

Bourbon Ginger Sweet Tea

Print Recipe

This bourbon ginger sweet tea is a refreshing summertime and Southern take on a bourbon mule!

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 3
Total Time: 3 minutes
Yield: 1
Category: Drink

Ingredients

1–1/2 ounces bourbon
½ ounce lime juice
5 ounces ready to drink sweet tea
2 ounces ginger beer

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Instructions

Combine all of the ingredients in a large glass filled with ice. Add an additional ounce of ginger beer if desired. Enjoy!

Sweet Tea Hot Toddy

4 Comments / Food and Drink

Here in the South, we’re serious about a few things. I’ve talked about this a few times, but as I settle into life as a Southerner, I become more and more aware of what we’re all about here.

Mind Your Manners

For starters, kindness and manners matter. If you’re not calling your Mama “Ma’am,” you might as well be sticking your tongue out at her. We hold the door open for others, gentlemen stand when ladies arrive, and we always, always, ALWAYS say the blessing before a meal. End of story.

Football > Everything

Second, we love football. SEC is everything and the fall ballgame schedule reigns supreme. If you’re not into football, you’re just not in [Slowly raises hand and backs away].

God Bless This Meal

And finally, we take pride in our food. Almost everyone has a favorite fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, or pecan pie recipe. Each family has a secret marinade or sauce, an heirloom cookie recipe, or method by which they prefer to season their greens. Southern food is rooted in years of tradition, history, and tried and true flavors that have been perfected over time. It’s not something we take lightly.

Take for instance sweet tea. It’s a staple here, and there’s not a soul who hasn’t enjoyed a cold glass on a hot day. When I first moved to the Deep South, I grew to appreciate a perfectly sweetened glass of tea, and now that I’ve experienced great tea, it’s almost painful to drink bad tea.

Sweet Tea Hot Toddy

This sweet tea hot toddy is a nod to all that is good in the South. Smooth bourbon, local honey, and incredibly delicious sweet tea combine to make a toasty beverage that will make even a Northerner talk with a drawl. This is a beverage you’ll want to cozy up to all winter long.

One of my favorite things about this sweet tea hot toddy is how simple it is. Instead of brewing my own tea, I lean on an Alabama-born made product, Red Diamond Ready-to-Drink Sweet Tea, for the perfect balance of sweet and tea. Their sweet tea is one that even the most discerning of Southerners would trust, and because it safely heats to warm temperature, it is the perfect add-in for this sweet tea hot toddy. Plus, it’s brewed from actual tea leaves with no shortcuts- just sugar, tea, and water.

Making the Tea

To make this sweet tea hot toddy, we start by warming our tea. Allow a lemon slice, honey, and a cinnamon stick to mull in the hot liquid for a minute or two before adding in the bourbon. Give it a taste. If your taste buds are anything like mine, you’ll be ready to guzzle a glass (or four), but feel free to add more tea or lemon depending on your preferences. If you’re interested in serving a crowd, brew up a big batch and allow guests to ladle mugs straight off of the stove. This sweet tea hot toddy is a great fall beverage that will set the mood for your upcoming holiday parties and gatherings.

Many thanks to Red Diamond Coffee & Tea for sponsoring this post, and thank YOU for supporting brands that make this site possible. I hope you’ll pick up some Red Diamond sweet tea and give this sweet tea hot toddy a shot (or two)! Happy drinking, y’all!

This post is sponsored by Red Diamond. All opinions expressed are my own.

If you like this sweet tea hot toddy you should check out:

Pinot Ritas

Brown Butter Bourbon Madeleines

Derby Pie Cookies

Homemade Chocolates

Sparkling Margaritas

Sweet Tea Hot Toddy

Print Recipe

This sweet tea hot toddy is sweetened with honey and ready made sweet tea. Bourbon is added for a boozy and flavorful finish.

Author: Kate
Prep Time: 5
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1
Category: Beverage

Ingredients

3/4 cup (170 gm) Sweet Tea (I use Red Diamond)
1 cinnamon stick
1 lemon slice (1/4” thick)
1 teaspoon honey (optional)
1–1/2 ounces bourbon

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Instructions

In a small saucepan on the stove, heat your sweet tea until hot. Bring barely to a boil and carefully pour into a mug. Add the cinnamon stick, lemon slice, and honey, and allow the mixture to cool for five minutes. Stir in the bourbon and enjoy!

sweet tea

Sweet Tea Old Fashioned

If you like this sweet tea old fashioned you should try:

Sweet Tea Old Fashioned

Ingredients

Instructions

Bourbon Ginger Sweet Tea

Making the Drinks

If you like this recipe you should check out:

Bourbon Ginger Sweet Tea

Ingredients

Instructions

Mind Your Manners

Football > Everything

God Bless This Meal

Sweet Tea Hot Toddy

Making the Tea

If you like this sweet tea hot toddy you should check out:

Sweet Tea Hot Toddy

Ingredients

Instructions

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