Beat The Heat With A Hard Iced Tea

We’re no strangers to a classic pitcher of sweet tea around here, but at the end of a long, hot day, we want something a little, well, harder. For a very Southern hard iced tea, we infuse a sweet tea base with lemon slices, then stir in plenty of bourbon (or lemon-flavored vodka).

Learn how to make hard iced tea, and serve over plenty of ice with more lemon slices for a porch sipper that’s great any time of year, but especially during warm weather.

Ingredients for Hard Iced Tea

• Granulated sugar: You'd have to take away our Southern card if we didn't make this hard iced tea sweet.
• Lemon: Bright citrus helps to make the drink invigorating, and it's a requirement for most sweet tea drinkers, too.
• Tea bags: You'll steep the tea bags to make your own tea. This way, you can easily control the strength of the tea.
• Bourbon or vodka: Use your preferred spirit. We like bourbon for the intricate flavors of Kentucky's brown liquor, but vodka is great, too. More on that below.

What Kind of Alcohol Do I Need for Hard Iced Tea?

For hard iced tea, we recommend either bourbon (choose your favorite) or lemon-flavored vodka. If your cocktail of choice is an old-fashioned, you might like the toasted, caramel flavors that bourbon adds to the drink. If you usually prefer a lighter, brighter cocktail, the lemon-flavored vodka is a great option. (For extra credit, try half bourbon and half lemon vodka!)

How Long Does Hard Iced Tea Last in the Fridge?

While this is best on the day it’s made, leftovers will be perfectly fine for two to three days in the refrigerator.

Variations for Hard Iced Tea

The best thing about this hard iced tea cocktail is that it’s so easy to customize. Try adding fresh peaches when cooking the mixture on the stove, or using peach-flavored tea. Or for a mixture of two of our favorite drinks, try our Sweet Tea Mint Julep.