I’d smile at rum. ย Coy… but not really coy.
I’d say hello to vodka. ย I’d wave, and smile with teeth.
I’d totally make out with gin… tonic and lime everywhere.
But bourbon. ย I’d marry bourbon… as long as bourbon understands that I often stay up until 3 am writing silly blog posts, with a scarf on my head, a shaky leg, and post-it notes everywhere. ย But I have a feeling that bourbon understands me. ย I’m not too worried.
Little itty bitty kitchen peek.
What is pleasantly cropped out of this picture is my cat in the kitchen sink attacking the dirty kitchen sponge.
Livin’ classy.
I’m fairly certain that we’re approaching the time of year when it’s reasonable to drink uncanny amounts of sweetener in cold, black tea.
It seems only natural to add fresh mint, muddled orange and bourbon.
This cocktail is simple, uncomplicated, refreshing, easy to drink, and a really lovely celebration of mid-spring.
You know it’s going to be summer soon, right? ย There are short dresses and summer heels in my future. Oh man. ย I need tan lotion and tea.
Sweet Tea Bourbon Cocktail with fresh mint and orange
6 cups water
4 or 5 black tea bags
1/4 cup agave syrup (honey will do too)
1/4 to 1/2 cup bourbon (depending on how strong you want your cocktail)
4 ย to 6 sliced orange rounds
6 sprigs fresh mint
lots of ice
Bring water to a boil. ย Turn off water and add black tea bags. ย Steep tea for 3 to 5 minutes. ย Remove the tea bags, place the tea in a large pitcher and let rest in the refrigerator until cold.
Place agave, bourbon, orange slices and fresh mint in a medium bowl. ย It the back of a spoon, begin to muddle (or press together) the ingredients. ย The oranges will release some juice, the mint will become fragrant, and the bourbon will tickle your nose. ย It’ll smell delicious. ย Once the mixture is pressed together, and the flavors are extracted, add the mixture to the pitcher of tea. ย Stir well. ย ((Feel free to strain the orange wedges and the mint leaves before pouring into the pitcher of tea, if you’d like.))
Fill glasses with ice cubes. ย Pour sweet, boozy tea over ice. ย Enjoy. ย Drink it up.
172 Responses
Hi there – Can I make this with Jack Daniels? My husband loves Jack Daniels and I’m wondering if it will come out just as good?
DEFINITELY! YAS QUEEN!
Ooh dear, I think (hope) that should read “SOME juice”
Yes it should. I corrected it. Thank you so much for catching that!
This sound tasty. I will be making it this weekend. And there is a minor but comical typo in the recipe text: “The oranges will release come juice …” I *think* it’s a typo anyway.
Those look heavenly! Can’t wait to try!
Thanks for this one. Gladly appreciated this one.
I am a Kentucky girl, born and raised. I served this a few Christmases ago at my “Kentucky Christmas” themed meal. I’m serving it again tomorrow night at a pre-party before a community play. This is my favorite bourbon cocktail. I was so surprised the first time I tried it because the tea mellows out the bourbon, but it’s still so prominent. Thank you for this recipe!
I so agree with marrying Bourbon. ;) But if you really want to fall in love with Bourbon try Woodford Reserve. It’s soooo smooth and the only bourbon to use in a mint julep. Can’t wait to try this drink, it sounds completely wonderful and very “Kentucky”! With the Derby coming up this weekend you need to get to some WR and some mint for a pitcher of tea and some juleps! Oh, and a big, pretty hat! Happy Derby Day!
How long will this mix last for in the fridge? A few days? Thank you, sounds delicious
a week or so!
I’d love to post this to my blog, Whisky Business! I share your deep attachment of that smooth, southern nectar and can’t wait to pass it along to my readers! Thanks for this gorgeous recipe!
I was just oogling your site & recipes and was hoping to find out where you found the stemware used in the photo? I just love the look of them! Hopefully they still make them somewhere!?
Ok, so, I’ve never had bourbon. I was looking something up and couldn’t remember the common brand name and instead of google I thought “I’ll just check Joy the Baker” :) Thanks for the info. Also, I will be trying it soon. Thanks for the inspiration.
Hey Joy,
This is the second recipe I’ve seen that has agave syrup/nectar in the recipe. What exactly is it? Maybe it’s because I’m in Australia, but I’ve never even heard of it.
P.S Loving the blog – have lost several hours to it since finding it this morning. :-D
These sound amazing! I am actually making them as I type (waiting for the tea to cool).
Sam – Agave is a plant that tequila is made from actually. I’m sure you have it in Australia. It’s very similar to honey, in the sweetness and texture.
oh. my. pie. We just made these and sipped them on the terrace from my grandma’s vintage glasses. San Francisco had one of those so-pretty-it-hurts kind of days and this was just the capper. Thank you, Joy.
This looks amazing. Would it work with Jack Daniel’s or do I need to go buy some bourbon?
Oh My Goodness! That looks so good. I need to add oranges to my shopping list. Great recipe!
Never tried bourbon, hubby says he likes it, I think I’ll give this one a go! Thanks Joy…
*love*
If I could, I would marry bourbon – we would have one real classy wedding. If only….
At least I am marrying a guy who loves bourbon as much as I do.
Somebody make me one of these for Mother’s Day! PLEEEASE!!!
i’m a big fan of sweet tea…and cocktails…and bourbon. I’m gonna make this in the summertime for reals.
OMG my sister emailed me this recipe and we are going to try it this summer for sure. I love Bourbon so I sure that I am going to love it. Thank you for sharing
Wow…I need to make these STAT! I am starting to really enjoy bourbon and this sounds like a great way to indulge :) Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and experience with all of us at Camp Blogaway. I didn’t get a chance to chat with you last weekend, but I look forward to getting to know you better through your wonderful blog!
I will start a campaign to replace the Mint Julep. Happy Derby Day from KY!!
I rarely even think about bourbon in the summer, and I don’t care for sweet-tea… but I gotta say, this just sounds like a sunny Saturday afternoon in heaven!
I love all the colors in your photos. This sounds like such a nice classy drink
Remember to buy the flowers! :)
I actually don’t know a lot about bourbon. If it’s like whiskey, I’m out. Don’t like it. But these cocktails looks good. Maybe I’ll try a wee bit!
Bourbon, yum. My favorite bourbon cocktail is bourbon with some apple schnapps (or apple liquor of some kind) and top that with some ginger ale or sprite. It’s best with ginger ale. Easy and very good. This looks beautiful too. I will try it soon.
:( why is it that i commented and it didn’t get posted?! ;,( i wanted it to sound cool but it wasn’t posted… darn it. *wrinkle between eyebrows*
Tomorrow is my 21st birthday. Maybe I’ll break out the old ID for a bottle of Bourbon.
I shouldn’t have read this at work. The temps reached to the 90’s today and tea with a kick would be awesome right now! Thanks for sharing!
Love it! Perfect drink for these increasingly sunny and long days. Now all I need is my dream patio to embody the fantasy of summer completely!
Oh boy, this sounds delicious! I adore bourbon as well, mmmmm.
This is so gonna be my after school (work, actually) drink for this next week. I have been working my way through the Williams and Sonoma Bar Guide, but this looks sooooo scrumptious that I am going to have to pause…..and flirt with Bourbon for a while. This week was tequila for Cinco de Mayo and I made Pink Grapefruit Margarita’s….but the thing is, I don’t think I would marry Tequila. I would certainly bat my eyes at an attractive anejo, but…..Whiskey has my heart.
Thank you for a lovely new idea!
Now that’s my kind of hot summer afternoon tea! I just might make this the signature cocktail this summer. Now all I need to do is buy the perfect tea accessories to put this drink over the top.
Ohhhh, love me some Maker’s Mark. When I’m rich and famous I’ll buy it by the case.
Bourbon isn’t really my thing (I know, we can’t be friends), but I really want to like this. You may have convinced me to think outside the booze box. Or something.
three words: green iced tea. BAM!
I just so happen to have a mini bottle of Maker’s Mark in my cupboard right now, and now I know what I am going to do with it :)
Haha!
In my mail, under subject, this as read Sweet Tea Bourbon Cock…
Too funny!
well…kinda goes with the orgasming oranges!!!
Can I come over for a cocktail? Please? =)
Few things make me happier than realizing I have all the ingredients to try a new cocktail. I have a feeling this one’s going to be showing up around the pool all summer long!
okay, listen to this-
i would smirk at brownies. those dang sexy things.
i would wink at pancakes. with syrup. more syrup. and chocolate chips? ya hit me in the heart.
i would totally, legit-ly, make out with ree’s cinnamon buns. have you seen them? no? they are AMAZING oh my gosh orgasm-causing
and butter… and bacon… and peanut butter… y’all babies i that i love so much…
maybe i’m drunk. sure. i blame the gin. i mean *in a fancy spancy accent* “bourbon”. sworry.
love the whole look! when everyone switched to flutes for champagne i bought the last of these glasses on sale at the hardware store (of all places). now all you need are aluminum ice cube trays. i got mine on ebay. the ice cubes make those little peaks in the middle. BTW this recipe doubles as a punch to serve in a punch bowl with little crystal punch cups. thanks for sharing!
Honey, this just sounds DI-VINE. :D From your love of bourbon, I’d swear you were a Kentuckian! I must admit though, I was surprised to see you switched it up from your normal Bulleit. (PS. You still need to try the Bulleit Rye if you can get your hands on it. It’s like the fun, spicy sister of their normal bourbon!) We recently got married (4-23-11!), and were gifted 2 bottles of Bulleit, a bottle of Four Roses, and a bottle of Pritchard’s Tennessee Whiskey… So, I’ll just need to figure out WHICH bourbon (or whiskey, or rye) I want to use to sample this lovely tea cocktail!!
PS. I adore your cocktail glasses.
wow, these are some gorgeous pictures!! Like it could it on a magazine cover :D
Marry bourbon?!? you are too funny, love to read your off the wall sense of humor, plus you make yummy food (and drink)!
Can I ask where the round wood tray came from? It appears regularly in your photos and I would like one!
Love it, love it, love it. The only thing that would make me love it more is being able to see the cat attacking the sponge. Just sayin’… :)
Oh, wow! This looks so good!
If I didn’t have to work tonight I’d be making this right now! Unfortunately, they frown on those caring for patients on ventilators in the hospital having a drink or two before work! :p
Next week, I’ll so be on this!
Bourbon and I have come a long way together. I’m an old fuddy duddy when it comes to drinking it–bourbon, club soda, three lemon wedges. But for anything resembling a mint julep, I’ll slam on the brakes. I didn’t think a mint julep could be more southern, but you have proven me wrong. Thanks for the great cocktail!
I love your Bourbon recipes! So refreshing!
Those are some pretty glasses! Oh, and it feel like Summer already so maybe we could just move the schedule up a little bit?
I am such a sweet tea person…and living in the south its sweet tea or dr. pepper….BUT i digress…/i am really gonna have to try this…holy smokes!
Ack! You totally have the same juicer that I stole from my parents because I loved its 70’s look so much!!! Sadly, the juicer lost a part and broke last year. I’m still mourning the loss…
p.s. I believe I could drink several of these cocktails. They sound amazing.
Oh yum! I only recently discovered sweet tea, given I’m from Boston and all. But now that I know about it, I absolutely love it! And this cocktail looks amazing and perfect for the Kentucky Derby :)
Sounds yummy! And I have the exact same pyrex dishes! They are just like the ones my mom has and my grandmother had before her. Don’t put them in the microwave or they’ll begin losing their color!
Am I the only who’s drooling – not over the beverage, which looks tasty btw, but over the wooden cutting boards in the background. How awesome are they?!
Is it acceptable to have these for breakfast? Or certainly at least for lunch, right? Because I’m not sure I’m going to wait until happy hour… :)
I’m not a big iced tea drinker in the summer, but when you add bourbon to it, well…that’s a whole other story! Iced tea sounds much more interesting and enjoyable that way! The mint and orange will take it over the top! :)
Adorable. You make me smile. I cannot say I’ve ever really thought about which alcohol I would marry. All I know is I should probably stay far far away from vodka.
Oh and the lighting on the last photo, absolutely fantastic.
This sounds great. I will be making friends with bourbon this sunday. :)
Your blog is amazing because you’re a fellow Bourbon lover and you inspire me to play in my kitchen more.
Thank you miss!
Bourbon and sweet tea two of my faves wrapped into one and just in time for Derby Day! Lovin’ the antique pyrex refrigerator dishes in the first pic!
I did not know that oranges were able to have an orgasm.
Yeow! I’ve been having a rough morning but this recipe AND reply really turned the tide…thanks funny people!!!!
I’m glad I’m not the only one who noticed that! LOL.
where do you see that? *perplexia* >o<
My mind was right there in the gutter with y’all :)
Me too – classic!! :-D
Well I’m glad somebody said it—everyone else is wondering about it too but they’re just going on about the pyrex dishes and wooden cutting boards. :)
I needed that chuckle after the night I had!!
glad I’m not the only one who noticed. Is just 1/4 cup honey enough to make it “sweet” tea?
I feel a little happy tug on my liver every time you post a drink recipe. Makes me feel like less of a lush for devoting half of my blog to fermented hops and malt.
Yes! This is perfect. Favoriting this to make sometime in the near future. Perhaps a post-finals celebration? Yes. I think so. Thanks for always coming up with such inventive deliciousness.
Oh dear sweet fat baby Jesus. I am from Kentucky, only drink mint juleps around this time of year, and drink my bourbon neat the rest of the time. You have just given me a new summer cocktail. Thank you from the bottom of by bourbon barrel.
I could totally get on board for this for the summer!! Bring on the bourbon!
mmm… yum! i sort of want to make this into a popsicle!
As if I needed an excuse to drink some bourbon tonight! Thank you for this delicious sounding cocktail.
Bourbon is totally the nectar of the gods. I’d marry it, too.
It’s like you know me and my deepest desires. This will be served at mothers day brunch. Thank you!!
Bah! I asked myself if I could wear sandals yet this morning… Maybe I would if I were lounging in the sun with a glass of this tea.
I love everything about this, it’s like you read my mind — right down to the cat in the sink, we’re on the same page. It seems I’ll be having a bourbon sweet tea tomorrow afternoon!
I feel a Friday drink coming on…..
The man can drink his whisky neat if he likes, but I can make mine a little more interesting. :-)
YUM. Finals week is over and I’m obsessed with sweet tea. This looks like cause for celebration.
Cat vs. the sponge, battle royale.
Never really tried bourbon, so I can’t say if I’m a fan or not, I probably will be. This looks pretty delicious. Thinking it might go well with some tea sandwiches for a mom or two?
This boozy goodness will be featured at my next BBQ… Wanna come?
YES!
Oh this looks wonderful! Makes me want to sit on the front porch of an old southern house in 90 degree weather, fanning myself and saying things like “I do declare..”
Trying to bust into Saveur’s best cocktail blog category as well, huh? ;)
Ha! I feel the same way about all of those liquors! You forgot Tequila. I’d probably smile at Tequila while thinking bad thoughts in my head.
I want to make this tipsy tea for my mothers day bruncheon. Don’t judge me! And I’m with Ruby. Basil Hayden all the way.
i totally forgot about tequila! balls.
oh joy, you kill me!!! but that drink sounds like something i will have to try!
now go get that cat outta the sink! :)
This looks great but I wonder if I’d like it. I don’t think I’ve ever had bourbon…something to try!
Looks very refreshing. I’ll have to check my store cupboard for alcohol.
Wow – way to rock that first photo with everything all soft and fuzzy with the focus on the mint leaf in the glass in the foreground – nice! Bourbon should totally marry you – you know how to make him look good.
I would totally marry sweet tea. Actually I married a Texan – that might be close enough!
So, the Mr. always tries to make a tea cocktail that is um, how do you say, awful. I am sending him this post with hopes that we enjoy this tonight! Thanks :)
One time, he tried to make alcoholic tea punch. He juiced oranges, grapefruit, pineapple, and lemons. Whole.lemons. 6 of ’em! Dumped in peach schnapps & tea vodka. One sip gave ya the shakes. No bueno.
Are you sure you’re not from the South? This sounds perfect!
If you love bourbon then you really MUST try Basil Hayden. The best. bourbon. ever. Really.
This cocktail sounds so great – and just in time for summer. But, I’m more interested in the glasses – WHERE DID YOU GET THEM? Please don’t tell me they were a vintage find or something you bought years ago. I might cry.
Bourbon (and brandy) are my favorites. My doctor says no alcohol, or I would be making this tonight.
I like to make brownies and drizzle about a 1/4 of bourbon over them as soon as they come out of the oven. It is delicious. The alcohol also works great in a light frosting. People think you are completely trying to get them sloshed, but it is only a tablespoon.
Wow, Seanna Lea, I love the bourbon brownie idea… thanks for sharing it!!!
Thanks for your never ending humor! You just never run out :)
This sounds lovely! My friends and I thank you for the new, perfect bbq cocktail!:)
Wow, what could be better than boozy sweet tea?
I have to admit I have very tried spiked tea, I guess I will have to now, as that looks like it would be perfect.
Just making friends with bourbon myself, but – are you sure you’re not from the South? : )
This Kentucky girl loves this post! Would totally choose this over a mint julep!
Ah, the weekend beacons.
~Brenda
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This looks incredible! I will have to make it while we are in Cali in August!
Hey Joy No Fair it’s to early for cocktails !
Sounds like the perfect Mom’s day Treat and the perfect Summer cocktail. Love what you did to ice tea!
Wow these cocktails look delicious! Def perfect for this weekend!
Hey Joy! I am moving to Oklahoma from Rhode Island in a few months and they loooove their sweet tea down there. I guess I will just have to hit up the bourbon trail on the drive down!
Just the cocktail for the Derby this weekend!! So much better than a Mint Julep……Now where did I put my hat?
i have to say, bourbon is one of my favorite liquors out there. so much flavor! and i love that rather than using a sweet tea mix you actually made sweet tea. heaven!
We’ve had seriously magnificent weather here in Amsterdam – I’m talking wildflowers, sunshine, cherry blossoms, the works. Learning to make cocktails is on my List of Grown-Up Things I Want To Do (along with waxing my legs instead of shaving, regularly ironing my clothes, and having dinner parties where the plates match and everyone has a proper chair). This looks like exactly the thing to take on a Sunday boatride along a glittering Dutch canal. Totally making this!
mmmmmmmmmmmmm bourbon <3
Looks really good, great idea!
xx Seph
LOVE LOVE LOVE bourbon and tea!
This sounds like the perfect cocktail for Derby Weekend :)
JUST what I was thinking!
Thanks Joy!
Bourbon and brown liquors in general are not usually my thing…but, I’d be very willing to break my own rules b/c your cocktail looks stellar!
Have you ever tried sweet tea vodka? I hadnt til about a year ago and it kinda was life changing. I think you’d love it!
Is the sweet tea vodka as simple as it sounds? Sweet tea, and vodka? MMM that DOES sound life changing. ;-)
It’s actually a brand called “Firefly” made in SC. Really good stuff!
Hey Joy, please may we see a pic if your gorgeous cat attacking the dirty sponge? Your cat could be the new internet-cat sensation!
Brilliant bourbon too.
The perfect summer cocktail! Makes me miss Atlanta!
My first thought was that Joy needs to visit down here in the South!
Nice innovation. Tea is healthy, it has antioxidants. Orange is healthy too. This is almost a health drink. I only wish my parents endorse regular consumption of copious amounts:)
i.feel.thirsty.need.this.now
I see a lot of boozy tea in my future…
Also, I love your cocktail glasses. They make your drink look even more elegant and classy.
Not really a burbon fan myself, prefer single malt, aged at least 12 years, scotch. But I could be persuaded to try this ;-P