Sweet Tea Drink

Make the black tea: In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, remove the pot from the heat and add the tea bags. Steep for 5 minutes, then remove the tea bags. Transfer the tea to the refrigerator and let cool completely.

Make the mint simple syrup: In a small saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar completely. Remove the pot from the heat and add the mint leaves. Steep for 15 minutes, then strain the syrup into a glass jar or liquid measuring cup. Discard the mint leaves. Transfer to the refrigerator and let the syrup cool completely.

To assemble, in a large, resealable carafe, combine the black tea, sparkling lemonade, mint simple syrup, and bourbon, if using. Gently swirl the bottle to combine. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

When ready to serve, pour the sweet tea over ice.

Enjoy!