16 Refreshing and Impressive Iced Tea Cocktails

Spiked Arnold Palmer

There's something irresistible about iced tea and lemonade in one glass. While the nonalcoholic version is immensely popular, it's just as easy to make a spiked Arnold Palmer. The recipe walks you through the steps of making enough fresh-squeezed lemonade for a round of drinks. Once that's well-chilled, mix it with your favorite iced tea and add a shot of vodka (rum, tequila, and whiskey work, too).

Bourbon Tea

Sweet tea is a favorite summertime drink, and it gets better when you add a shot of liquor to the mix. The "sweet" can come from various sources, including sweet liqueurs and unique flavored syrups. 

This simple bourbon tea recipe uses limoncello as the sweetener. While often reserved for sipping chilled or fancy cocktails, the luscious lemon liqueur does wonders in a simple, refreshing drink like this.

Summer Peach Tea

When you want a fruity sweet tea, the summer peach tea is a great recipe, and there's no need to hassle with fruit (unless you want to, of course). For this one, you'll pour a shot of Canadian whisky over ice, then one of peach liqueur for a sweet, fruity touch. Top it with iced tea and garnishes, and a relaxing drink is ready to enjoy.

Mango Iced Tea Cocktail

Similarly, the mango iced tea cocktail uses Canadian whisky. These blended whiskeys are known for their smooth, often softer, taste that won't overpower the cocktail. This recipe is flavored with mango rum, and most are slightly sweetened but not as much as liqueurs. The drink has a nice balance of flavor and can quickly become a new favorite.

Royal Tea

Try adding a little gin to your sweet tea. The spirit's botanicals are a perfect complement for a British favorite like Earl Grey, and this royal-tea cocktail recipe is a quick twist on afternoon tea.

To keep it genuine, choose a top-shelf London dry gin. Add a splash of lemon and a hint of sugar, and you'll have a tall, refreshing glass of iced tea. It's also very easy to make by the pitcher for an intimate party.

Ginger Tea

Cognac is a fantastic pairing with green tea, and the duo is showcased in the ginger tea recipe. The drink starts by muddling plain simple syrup with fresh ginger and mint for a nice flavor boost. If you really like the combination, infuse your simple syrup with mint and ginger to save time or preserve the fresh taste.

Kentucky Tea

There's also no reason to stick with a tea straight from the bag. A recipe like this Kentucky tea asks you to build on the flavors of a mint tea during the infusion. By adding lemon and eucalyptus, you can easily put a cooling spin on a bourbon-spiked sweet tea. Once the tea is brewed and chilled, the cocktail is as simple as a shot of bourbon and a little extra lemon.

Irish Tea Party

When you're ready for an iced tea cocktail that is anything but ordinary, the Irish tea party is a fun one to mix up. Irish whiskey and absinthe create quite the spectacle in this iced green tea cocktail. The absinthe isn't strong, though; it's used as a rinse to coat the glass with its bold anise flavor. It's actually a perfect complement to the whiskey and tea, and the finished cocktail is surprisingly light.

Jalisco High Tea

The Jalisco high tea offers a taste of tea and tequila. The recipe opts for the light aging of reposado tequila, and the tea of choice is lemon verbena, which has a nice herbal-citrus zing. The sweetener is two-fold: a little simple syrup and a splash of Cherry Heering. The result is a delightful summer sipper.

Tea Tini

The martini family of drinks is the perfect foundation for a spot of tea. The easiest among them is the aptly named tea tini. It's really nothing more than shaken vodka, tea, and lemon juice served in a cocktail glass. Yet, the style of drink adds to its appeal, and the simplicity begs for it to be altered to suit your taste.

Mistletoe Martini

You'll need to hunt down a very specific tea for this fancy little drink, but it's a fun twist for the holiday-worthy recipe. The mistletoe martini requires a cranberry tea and you should be able to find at least one option at stores that stock a variety of teas. Add to that your favorite vodka and a little lemon and orange juice and it's done.

Mad Hatter's Tea Party

There are very few tea-flavored distilled spirits available. While they're nice to explore when you find them, it's actually effortless to create your own tea-infused liquors. Simply place tea bags in the alcohol and allow it to steep until it reaches your preferred taste (usually, just a couple of hours). As inspiration, give this summer royale tea-infused rum a try in the mad hatter tea party cocktail.

Gunpowder Gimlet

Gin is another fantastic base for a little tea flavoring, and the gunpowder gimlet cocktail thrives on its unique homemade infusion. The recipe pairs green tea-infused gin with homemade salted pistachio honey syrup. Both ingredients take only a couple of hours, so you can prep them in the morning, and they'll be ready for mixing by the afternoon.

Spiked Thai Iced Tea

Thai iced tea is a spiced mix of milky black tea that is a pure joy to drink. When you want to give it a little kick, add rum and Irish cream. The spiked Thai iced tea is very close to the original, featuring a spice-infused combination of Irish cream, coconut milk, and sweetened condensed milk. That's added to an ice-filled glass with a shot of aged rum and strong black tea to create an equally unforgettable drink.

Moscato Ginger Iced Tea Cocktail

Spiked tea drinks are not all about liquor, and wine makes a fine companion to tea as well. For a party drink, try the moscato ginger iced tea recipe. It pairs a freshly made ginger syrup with iced tea and moscato wine for a sweet, sparkling finish. Add candied ginger, and let the fun begin!

Thanksgiving Fall Sangria

Designed specifically for autumn, this Thanksgiving sangria is filled with seasonal flavors. It's a multi-dimensional punch that combines brandy, gin, and dry white wine with chilled green tea and pomegranate juice. Fresh fruits and cinnamon add to its complex flavor. While it's best when chilled overnight, it all comes together quickly.