I’ve already talked about the delicious food I had on my culinary tour of South Carolina (Shrimp and Grits and Bojangles Fried Chicken), but it would be wrong to omit another South Carolina low country favorite that helps the locals beat the summer heat. I’m not talking about food on this one, but instead a delicious sweet iced tea vodka drink that was all the rage at the local bars.

Because sweet tea is a Southern favorite, it’s no wonder that this drink is so popular in Charleston. For those that don’t know, people in the deep south add a lot of sugar to their tea (almost too much for my liking), and the resulting sweetness is a perfect way to mask the strong vodka flavor. In fact, the first comment that most people make upon trying this drink for the first time is that they can’t taste any alcohol at all.

Don’t live in Charleston? Fear not. You might be able to buy a version of sweet tea vodka locally or make this drink on your own. The Charleston based Firefly Distilleries makes Firefly Sweet Tea that might be available at a liquor store near you (I saw some here locally in Texas just last week).

At parties and bars around Austin, they serve the local Sweet Leaf brand Sweet Tea mixed with Tito’s Handmade Vodka for the same effect. If you can’t find any of these brands in your town, there is still hope – you can buy sweet tea in many grocery stores or at a fast food restaurant near you (Chick-fil-A makes great sweet tea).

If you aren’t fortunate enough to live somewhere that sells pre-sweetened tea, you will just have to make this drink the old fashioned way. Just remember that the key to making this drink taste good is adding enough sugar!

Ingredient List

Mix and enjoy.

Thanks and happy Fooding Drinking!
-Peter