Iced tea cocktail recipes come in many recipe variations, but my version, The Sweet Tea Sparkler, is simple, strong, and very refreshing. You have to be careful with these little pups as the alcohol taste is disguised and pretty much nonexistent which makes them real easy to cruise through. The main ingredient in this cocktail is sweet tea vodka, and I like to use Firefly. Created on Wadmalaw Island, South Carolina, (30 miles south of Charleston) Firefly became the world’s first hand-crafted sweet tea flavored vodka. I do feel a tad attached to this particular brand as I was first exposed to it back in my college days at USC in Columbia, SC. This vodka blew through like a tornado and soon everyone was drinking it by simply mixing it with water… and I feel somewhat responsible for it’s migration to Texas… well sort of, if promoting it at Vintage counts (amazing & memorable bar that sparked from 2007-2012 in Houston, Texas). // Vintage is remembered (burned down… tears forming) for its ridiculous bottle service room, DJ dance floor, and a more low key (compared to the front room) back cabana area – it is doubtful that anything will ever top it. Once Vintage and other bars in Houston picked up on the Firefly trend, it became a well known household name. This drink is perfect for serving at showers, bachelorettes, backyard dinner parties or out on a deck (pretty soon your guests will be having a reeeeeally good time and probably getting extra chatty). It can easily be turned into an alcohol free mocktail by replacing the sweet tea flavored vodka with actual iced tea. Sip Sip Sip!!

Directions – serves 1, multiply for a pitcher

• combine all of the below in the order listed over ice in a lowball glass, stemless wine glass, styro, or tumbler
• 2 shots of sweet tea flavored vodka
• 2 shots of club soda
• 1/2 a juiced lemon
• mint springs
• sliced lemon for garnish
• Optional – splash of lemonade or water // or replace vodka with iced tea to make it nonalcoholic