Sweet Tea Drink

Instructions

• 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!