Black Tea and Whiskey Cooler
Florida A&M, or FAMU, the historically Black college and university founded in 1887 in Tallahassee, canceled its homecoming celebrations for 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. This whiskey cooler from Shameeka Ayers, an alumna, is Florida sunshine beamed into a glass. The orange and green are inspired by FAMU's colors; Ms. Ayers calls the drink the Three Strike, inspired by the school's “Strike, Strike and Strike Again” chant. The black tea adds depth and is refreshing year-round. The Uncle Nearest whiskey honors Nathan "Nearest" Green, the enslaved African who taught Jack Daniels how to distill.
- Total:
- Serves: 2 persons
Ingredients
- 3black tea bags or 1 tablespoon loose black tea
- 4large mint leaves, plus extra mint sprigs to garnish
- Ice, as needed
- 4ounces small-batch whiskey, such as Uncle Nearest 1884
- 4ounces peach nectar (or mango nectar)
- 1ounce orange liqueur
- ½ounce pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Step 1
Prepare the tea: Place a kettle over high and bring 2 1/2 cups water to a boil. Remove from heat and transfer 2 cups water to a heatproof vessel.Step 2
Add the tea and let steep for 10 minutes. Let the hot tea cool to room temperature. (This yields 2 cups of tea, so you will have some left over; save it for unsweetened iced tea or additional cocktails.)Step 3
Use a muddler to slightly pound the mint leaves in a cocktail shaker. You’ll smell the fragrance as the oils release.Step 4
Fill the shaker halfway with ice, then add the whiskey, peach nectar, orange liqueur, vanilla extract and 6 ounces of the prepared tea. Shake for 30 seconds. Strain each serving into a highball glass halfway filled with ice and garnish with a mint sprig.