Home Recipe IndexBeverages Peach Sweet Tea and Bourbon Cocktail

Peach Sweet Tea and Bourbon Cocktail

by Emily
Peach Sweet Tea and Bourbon

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for details at the bottom of this page. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases on this peach sweet tea and bourbon cocktail recipe post.

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.

A side shot of peach sweet tea and bourbon cocktail.
What Do You Like to Drink During the Summer?

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!
A side shot of the peach cocktail. A pitcher and peaches sit in the background.
Summer Peaches Are a Delicious Addition to Sweet Tea!

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. 

A side shot of the sweet tea cocktail.
Do You Like Sweet Tea?

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. 

An elevated shot of the peach sweet tea and bourbon cocktail.
Do You Like Bourbon?

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:

If you have any questions or comments, you can also email us at [email protected].

And, finally, we would love to hear from you through our social media as well! You can follow us at @carvingajourney on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest. Or, if you would like more articles like these, you can subscribe to our blog by joining our mailing list. We hope you enjoyed reading about this southern peach sweet tea and bourbon cocktail! Thank you so much for stopping by!

Join Our Mailing List!

Subscribe to our mailing list and receive new recipes in your inbox!



Peach Sweet Tea and Bourbon Cocktail

5.0 from 2 votes
Recipe by Emily Course: Recipes, CocktailCuisine: Southern, AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

10

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes

Ingredients

  • Peach Simple Syrup
  • 1 Cup Sugar

  • 1 Cup Water

  • 3 Ripe and Juicy Peaches, Thinly Sliced

  • Tea
  • 5 Standard Size Tea Bags, Black Tea

  • 8 Cups Water

  • Other Ingredients
  • 1 Cup Bourbon

  • 8 Dashes of Cocktail Bitters

  • Ice

  • Peach, Garnish

Directions

  • Start by making peach simple syrup. In a small saucepan, bring your sugar, water, and peaches to a boil. Then, lower the heat to a simmer. Using a wooden spoon, stir the peaches to break them down. This allows the peach flavor to infuse into the simple syrup. Once the sugar is completely dissolved, cover and remove the pot from the heat. Let it sit for 30 minutes to continue to infuse the flavors.
  • While the peach simple syrup cools and continues to infuse, brew your tea using a large pot or tea maker. To do so, heat the 8 cups of water. Black tea should be brewed between 208°F to 212°F. Once the water is hot enough, place your tea bags into the water. Let it steep for 4-5 minutes. Any longer, and the tea will be bitter.
  • Once brewed, remove the tea bags and pour the tea into a pitcher. Set it in the refrigerator to cool.
  • Once the peach simple syrup is finished, pour it into another container through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth.**
  • Finally, you need to mix the black tea, peach simple syrup, bourbon, and bitters in a pitcher. Serve cold.
  • To serve, stir the drink in the pitcher again before pouring. Serve with ice and sliced peaches as a garnish.

Notes

  • **You can save the peaches for later use. For example, I like adding it over vanilla ice cream or yogurt.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @carvingajourney on Instagram and hashtag it

Like this recipe?

Follow us @carvingajourney on Pinterest

Did you make this recipe?

Follow Carving A Journey on Facebook

Carving A Journey is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Although we may earn commissions for our endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website, these opinions are my own and I fully support these products. 

You may also like

Leave a Comment