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Once we reach July and August, we are in the middle of the summer sweet and juicy peach season! As a Georgia girl, we do two things really well: naming streets after peaches and making sweet tea. As such, I couldn’t go through the peach season without sharing this peach sweet tea and bourbon cocktail. Soon, you will be adding this recipe to your list of party-pleaser cocktails to quench thirst during the summer heat. We hope you enjoy it!
Before we get to the recipe, I just wanted to recommend our peach Caprese salad and banana peach smoothie in case you need further ideas for peach season. Also, you can learn about peaches in some of our informative articles such as the ‘difference between peaches and nectarines,’ and ‘the different types of peaches to try this summer!’
What Is Sweet Tea?
Sweet tea is a type of beverage served in many regions of the world such as the Southern United States and Indonesia. To make sweet tea, you add sugar or simple syrup to tea while it is brewing or still hot. Typically, people use black tea as the bold rich flavor naturally mingles well with the sweetening agent.
Usually, people serve sweet tea ice cold because it can help you quench your thirst during the hot summer months. In the south, it is probably more popular than lemonade as a thirst quencher!
Sweet Tea Fact: The oldest known recipe for sweet tea was originally published in 1878 in a shared community cookbook titled Housekeeping in Old Virginia by Marian Cabell Tyree. At that time, people mainly consumed green tea. As such, the original sweet tea recipe recommends green tea instead of the now commonly used black tea.
How Do I Make this Peach Sweet Tea and Bourbon Recipe?
Below, we listed some tips & tricks for making this peach sweet tea and bourbon recipe. I hope these tips help you when making this cocktail!
- Start by making a peach simple syrup. If you want to learn more about simple syrup, you can read our recipe for basic simple syrup. Once the sugar dissolves, cover and let the mixture sit for 30 minutes off of the hot oven. This way, the peach flavors mingle with the simple syrup!
- After 30 minutes, strain the simple syrup through a cheesecloth. You do not want the cooked chunks of mushy peaches in your cocktail.
- Keep the mushy peaches in an airtight container in the refrigerator for later use! I like adding them over vanilla ice cream or on top of plain yogurt.
- As your peach simple syrup sits for 30 minutes, brew your black tea. If you want weaker tea, brew less loose leaf or bags of tea. If you want a strong tea, brew more.
- Do not let your tea steep longer than 4-5 minutes. If you steep it too long, it gets bitter.
- Once steeped, add the tea to a pitcher and let it cool before adding it to the refrigerator.
- Finally, combine the peach simple syrup, bourbon, and brewed black tea in a large pitcher or vat.
- Serve with crushed or cubed ice and a fresh peach garnish!
Peach Sweet Tea and Bourbon Cocktail Frequently Asked Questions:
Below, we listed some questions you may have about this southern peach sweet tea and bourbon recipe. If we do not answer your question below, feel free to leave a comment or email us at [email protected]!
What Type of Tea Should I Use to Make Sweet Tea?
Like we previously stated, people originally made sweet tea from green tea instead of black. However, the main sources of green tea were completely cut off from the United States during WWII due to Japanese occupation in many green tea-producing regions in the East. Instead, people turned to black tea imported from British India to drink and make their sweet tea.
So, when making sweet tea, you can use the old-fashioned green variety or the more widely used black tea.
To make this peach sweet tea and bourbon cocktail, we recommend using black tea. Naturally, black tea has a bitter flavor that balances out the sugar. The peach also adds a layer of sweet summer flavors that mingle well with the rich bourbon.
A lot of family sweet tea recipes recommend using Lipton tea as a cheaper option. You can find it at any well-stocked grocery store in the United States and Europe. Though being said, you can use any type or brand of black tea you desire depending on your financial situation and preferred tea flavor.
Can I Make This in Advance?
Yes! You can easily make this in advance. Honestly, this is a perfect large batch drink to make for parties.
If you make this recipe in advance, store it in the refrigerator. I recommend making this a few days in advance and drinking within 1-2 weeks.
Can I Skip the Bourbon and Make this Non-Alcoholic?
Of course! Thankfully, the peach sweet tea tastes delicious on its own without the bourbon. If you skip the bourbon, you also need to skip the bitters to make it alcohol-free.
We Hope You Enjoyed Learning About How to Make Peach Sweet Tea and Bourbon!
In the end, we hope you enjoyed learning about this peach sweet tea and bourbon cocktail. If so, let us know in the comment section below. Also, we would love to hear about your favorite sweet tea, peach, and bourbon recipes!
If you would like to read more about cooking, you can find further recipes on our blog. We listed some of our favorite Carving A Journey Korean recipes below! For reference, many recipes are influenced by our blended Korean and Southern heritage.
Carving A Journey Summer Drink Recipes:
- Southern Bourbon Slush Cocktail
- Cold Brew Iced Coffee
- Strawberry Matcha Latte
- Korean Banana Milk
- Korean Strawberry Milk
- Soju Cocktail: Soju Caipirinha
- Iced Burnt Brown Sugar Latte; And
- Classic Southern Lemonade
If you have any questions or comments, you can also email us at [email protected].
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