Drinking in summer

Memorial Day Weekend is here and with it, the start of summer. Lakes will be home to countless boats, ballparks will be filled with teams of all ages and grills will be loaded with meats from every which animal. Regardless of where you are, you’ll probably have (or at least want) a drink in your hand.

A summer favorite in our family has always been a cold glass of iced tea or an Arnold Palmer. It’s cold and light. I’d be lying if I said one of the reasons I like it isn’t because you can make it by filling a jug with tea bags and water and leaving it on the deck for the afternoon.

As with many beverages, iced tea is better with alcohol.

Milk, better with kahlua

Coke, better with rum

Iced tea, better with whiskey

I saw a similar idea online, but the quantities seemed a little off. It sounded good overall, and I figured it couldn’t hurt to tweak it and try something. After all, there was a half of a bottle of peach whiskey just sitting in the garage.

I threw the pieces together. It’s good. Both parents agree it’s good. It will be made again. Here it is…

Lemon Bourbon Iced Tea

2 cups iced tea
1 tablespoon sugar
1 lemon
Some whiskey
Grenadine to taste (optional)

Pour the iced tea into your container of choice. I used a mason jar. Next, cut your lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the tea. These things are incredibly helpful for juicing limes, lemons, oranges and anything else that has a peel. You can use more than a tablespoon of sugar if you’d like or none at all, adding this to your lemon tea. Drop in your lemon halves, and add in your desired amount of whiskey. You can add an ounce, a couple ounces, half the bottle…whatever floats your boat. We don’t judge here. I used about 3-4 ounces of Bird Dog Peach Whiskey.

Stir your mixture until your sugar is dissolved, and throw it in the fridge. A mason jar works well here, as you can close it and shake it up without worrying about splashing anything on the table / counter. It’s good to drink immediately, but the longer it sits, the better it will taste as the lemon peel will mellow out the harshness of the alcohol. It tastes crisp and light, but if you want a little stronger flavor, adding a little grenadine will liven it up. Other additions you can make include lemonade, fruits, honey and mint.

Enjoy.

A closing note, it’s important to remember the true importance behind this weekend and to thank those who have served our country, both at home and abroad. If you’re spending the weekend with a veteran of our Armed Forces, be sure to thank them for their service. Maybe pour them a drink.

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