Last year, I took a trip to Florida and fell madly in love with sweet tea. Similar to iced tea but with a smoother, tastier (and sweeter) finish, I couldn't get enough of the stuff that summer. This year, I wanted to kick it up a notch. How can you improve on delicious iced teas? 

Um, how about a shot of somethin' somethin'? 

Here are three cold tea infused cocktails for you to sip on this summer: 

Bergamot Iced Tea Cocktail 
 

What you'll need: 

1 1/3 Cups Sugar
8 Double Bergamot Earl Grey Tea Bags
1 oz Citrus Vodka
Lemon

How to: 

Make a simple syrup. Check out our quick tutorial over here. Bring 12 cups of water to a boil and add tea bags. Let steep for about 3 minutes. Cool completely. 

Next, combine the syrup and tea until it is as sweet as you'd like. In a glass, add ice, tea and a shot of vodka and lemon juice. 

Orange Blossom Oolong Cocktail


What you'll need: 

Orange Oolong Syrup 
Lemon Juice
Vodka 
Ice
Soda Water

How to: 

You're going to make a simple syrup (again, here's the tutorial) only instead of water, use brewed orange oolong tea.  
 
For one drink, combine 2 parts orange oolong syrup, 1 part lemon juice and 1 part vodka into cocktail shaker full of ice. Shake, pour out into glass and top with soda water. 

Blackberry Bourbon Tea



What you'll need: 

3 Cups Blackberries
3/4 Cup Sugar
2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Mint
6 Tea Bags
Bourbon

How to: 
 
In big bowl, mash together blackberries, sugar and mint. 

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil, add tea bags and let steep for about 3 minutes. After steeping, remove tea bags and pour tea over blackberry-sugar mixture. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour. 

Pour mixture into glass through a strainer. Pour shot of bourbon on top. Serve chilled and garnish with mint if desired.

Which of these tea cocktails would you love to sip on?
 
(recipes adapted via bakedbree.com, nowoodenspoons.blogspot.ca, blog.tastecha.com)