Sweet Tea Whiskey Smash Recipe

Most bourbon cocktails are the drink equivalent of a little yellow dress: strong, sweet, and in your face. This sweet tea whiskey smash recipe is a bourbon cocktail for people who want their drink to go beyond sweet and strong. Here, we're building layers. Chilled black tea, honey syrup, fresh mint, and Amaro Averna take the whiskey smash in a quieter, more complex direction. What you end up with is a drink that works just as well at a summer dinner party as it does on a cold evening.

As a recipe developer and blogger with over 12 years of experience, I can get caught in the minute details of a recipe. Tweaking the amount of mint leaves here, or adding a strange bitter liqueur there. So when I took on the challenge of trying to improve the whiskey smash beyond its basic formula, I knew we could be here a while. But I'm glad to report that the recipe I bring to you here is worth the research time, or perhaps the extra ingredients you need to get. The cold-steeped black tea adds body and tannins. The Averna brings bittersweet herbal depth. And the quickly made honey syrup — no cooking necessary! — rounds everything out without making it cloying. The mint muddling feels a bit extra, but it adds acidity and aroma that takes this drink into craft cocktail territory.

If you want your bourbon drinks to go beyond sweet, then this cocktail recipe is calling your name. There's no need to buy expensive bourbons here. Go with what's in your cupboard, or with one of our top bourbon choices, and save your pennies for when you want to drink that golden-hued liquor straight.

To make this Southern cocktail, you'll need to start with a good-quality loose-leaf black tea, preferably orange pekoe or similar. To that, we will add honey, fresh mint leaves, lemon slices, a bourbon of your choice – we recommend Bulleit Bourbon or Maker's Mark – an Italian Amaro Averna, fresh lemon juice, and, for garnish, dried orange wheels and fresh mint sprigs.

Steep the loose-leaf tea in 2 cups just-boiled water for 4 to 5 minutes.

Strain immediately into a glass packed with ice to chill.

Stir honey and ¼ cup warm water together until fully dissolved. Set aside.

Smack the mint between your palms and place in a shaker with the lemon wheels. Muddle gently 4 to 5 times.

Add the bourbon, amaro, lemon juice, and 1 ounce of honey syrup.

Fill the shaker with ice and shake hard for 15 seconds.

Strain the cocktail over fresh ice into a rocks glass or tall Collins glass.

Top each drink with 2 ounces of chilled black tea.

Garnish with a dried orange wheel and a mint sprig, and serve immediately.

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Batching cocktails for parties is one of my favorite cheats for effortless hosting, and luckily, this drink is perfect for it. A few components of this sweet tea whiskey smash are natural make-ahead steps, so it shouldn't even feel like a stretch to spread it over a couple of days.

The honey syrup is the easiest to make in advance. Make it in a jar with a tightly sealing lid, and you can keep it in the fridge for up to two weeks. Just shake it when ready to use, and you're good to go! The steeped black tea can be made up to two days ahead and stored cold in the fridge. Starting with both ready can cut the assembly time to just a few minutes per round.

But if, like me, you'd rather have everything ready in advance before guests arrive, then that's easy to do as well. Batch cocktails work best when you scale up the spirits, syrup, and citrus, but keep the fresh elements separate until serving. Muddled mint doesn't batch well, as it wilts quickly and has a tendency to turn bitter if it sits in liquid for more than 30 minutes. I'm also not a fan of steeping citrus peels. So the most practical approach is to combine the bourbon, Averna, lemon juice, and honey syrup in a pitcher at the correct ratios, refrigerate, then shake individual or double portions with fresh muddled mint over ice when ready to serve. Top each glass with chilled tea to order, and you should be the perfect example of an effortless host.

Amaro Averna is a Sicilian herbal liqueur that has been produced in Caltanissetta, a region of the island, since 1868. It has flavors of caramel, dark citrus peel, licorice, and dried herbs, making it an instant upgrade to fall drinks. Overall, Averna sits on the sweeter, less bitter end of the amaro spectrum.

In this recipe, Amaro Averna serves to soften the bourbon's sharpness and to add an herbal complexity to the drink. I tried making the drink first without the amaro, and I discovered that it was pleasant but felt rather standard. Adding the Amaro Averna brought up the tea and honey notes, smoothing all the edges and eliminating the bourbon's bitter burn.

We also tried making it with a couple of substitutions. Amaro Montenegro is the closest swap, as it has a similar orange-centered flavor profile. Amaro Nonino did not work, as it was too brash and abrasive. Ramazzotti works as well, but makes the drink drier and more herbal. The artichoke notes of Cynar bring an earthy bitterness that feels more unusual, but overpowers the subtle sweetness of the drink.

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