5 Awesome Iced Tea Cocktails

Iced tea is the ultimate summertime beverage for me. Not only is it incredibly versatile, enjoyable sweetened or non-sweetened, it is beyond refreshing in the doggiest days of summer. However, the real beauty of this crisp and bright drink lies mostly in its ability to take on other flavors and mix incredibly well, hence the every-popular iced tea cocktail.

While there are many ways to go cocktail crazy with iced tea, my two favorite spirits to add into the mix here are vodka and whiskey. Vodka is a given; its chameleon-like flavor profile (or lack of flavor as the case may be) gives it the ability to mix with virtually any other liquid. Whiskey works fantastic as well; lending spiced notes that really kick up the usually mellow flavors of a typical iced tea.

June 10, is National Iced Tea Day, and I have to say that of all of the drinks out there, iced tea is certainly one of the more deserving of an entire day dedicated to it. In order to celebrate this holiday to the fullest, we've prepared for you a list of some of our favorite iced tea cocktails. This holiday may not get you out of work, but it will give you an excellent excuse to drink a boozy iced tea, and I'd like to think that is much more valuable than a vacation day.

Read on for some truly delicious iced tea cocktails, perfect for beachside, poolside, or just about any outdoor occasion. Cheers, and Happy National Iced Tea Day!

Click here for five iced tea cocktail recipes.

— Sara Kay, The Spir.it