I love iced tea.
When I was little my mom would make iced tea all summer long and I always had to drink from her glass. For some reason it tasted better than the glass of iced tea I poured for myself. (My kids do this to me now and it irritates me to no end. So sorry mom!!)
We have been living in North Carolina for just over a year now. I’m very much enjoying the Southern hospitality, mild winters, beautiful fall weather, and early spring gardens. I love nearly everything about the South. Except for the summer heat and–please don’t lynch me–sweet tea.
It’s too sweet and there is a bitter aftertaste I just can’t stomach.
After trial and error I found a perfect alternative to traditional Southern sweet tea. Super simple and, IMHO, delicious.
I boil about 6 cups of water in my Proctor Silex electric kettle*Â (we have gone through 4 “top of the line” kettles in 3 years… I bought this one because it was CHEAP and figured it wouldn’t hurt as much if I had to replace it in 4 months… it has lasted over a year), pour the boiling water over a Luzianne* decaffeinated iced tea bag, steep for 3-4 minutes (any longer and it gets too bitter for me) and, in place of simple syrup, I make my “sweet” iced tea with natural Stevia*Â powder. Then I pour the tea in a Rubbermaid pitcher* filled with ice.
But what turns my regular old iced tea into Not So Sweet Tea, is what I add to it after 5 o’clock(ish)!
Absolut Citron and a dash of triple sec give iced tea that little kick you need after a long, hot day stuck in the house with five kids during summer break.
Okay so maybe it gives ME that little kick I need… but I’m pretty sure you will enjoy it too!
Not So Sweet Tea
Not So Sweet Tea
Take your favorite iced tea and kick it up a notch or two with Absolute Citron!
Ingredients
- 4 cups iced tea [img src="https://lifeofaginger.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/not-so-sweet-tea800x962header-249x300.jpg" width="249" height="300" class="alignright size-medium" title="Tasty Tuesday - Not So Sweet Tea" alt="Tasty Tuesday - Not So Sweet Tea"]
- 1 1/4 cup Absolut Citron (or your favorite lemon flavored vodka)
- 1 T triple sec (optional)
- ice
Instructions
- Fill a pitcher with ice
- Add iced tea, Citron and triple sec
- Stir
- Pour into a glass filled with ice
- Enjoy!
*affiliate links
We don't drink, but this sounds refreshing! Thank you for sharing.
That sounds amazing. I need to make these at our next cookout.
Mmmmm….. This sounds so light and refreshing! What a creative idea to turn tea into a refreshing summer cocktail!
That sounds perfect for our backyard family barbecues. Sometimes, something with a little kick is so nice!
There are some days when this is exactly the kind of tea I need. That'll loosen you up!
I don't drink tea, but heck it's five o clock somewhere, just give me the absolute! 🙂
With the temperature warming up, we are going to need a way to keep cool. I love sweet tea on hot summer days.
Iced tea is so popular down here. This looks like a great drink!
This is my kind of tea! I have really been wanting to try some flavored vodkas since they seem to have so many varieties now.
I actually don't like tea at all, which is funny since I live in the South. That cocktail sounds like a nice switch up on it.
What a refreshing taste of summer in a glass! I defiitely agree that tea can get a little too sweet, this is a nice adult beverage idea
I grew up in the south and sweet tea was always a staple. Yep, I drank from mama's glass all the time too 😉
Oh how interesting. I love tea, and iced tea but I'm not a drinker at all. This looks pretty tasty though!
When I was young I swear my mom had in iced tea addiction. Never sweet though. And when friends would come over for their game night they would find ways to dr it up. lol
This sounds delicious – Vodka and tea – two of my favorite drinks. I will give this a try 🙂
That is great twist. Love how refreshing it looks
Looks like a nice drink to calm the nerves after a long day at work
Yes! It's very refreshing. I work from home and some days my work never seems to end! Those are the days when you really need a little cocktail.
Niiiiice!!! I am going to have to mix this one up at home for myself to enjoy!
I'm more a fan of the regular kind of tea – I haven't been drinking as much now that I have young children!
I hear you! I'm not a big drinker anymore… if I have 1 a week that is a lot. In the summer I might have a few just because we socialize a lot more.
Sweet tea is one of my favorites. I bet this not so sweet tea is amazing! Combining the vodka and tea is delicious, I bet!
I've never tried the flavored vodka. This sounds like an interesting drink!
So yummy! I like the vanilla flavored vodka too. If you like Strawberry Starbursts, you have to try this https://lifeofaginger.com/frozen-strawberry-starburst/!
Yes please! This looks so good! What a perfect summer cocktail!
It's lovely. Very refreshing! I like to sit on our front porch, watch the sun set and drink my iced tea. Well, for except the past few weeks…. we are experiencing a heat wave. It has hit 100 four times this week alone! Yikes! It's going to be a long summer.
I love tea. Not a big Vodka drinker, but this may cover the flavor up well. Thanks