Sweet Tea Vodka

It seems that just a year ago, no one would even recognize “Sweet Tea Vodka.” Now it is in every liquor store and bar across the country. What is it? Where is it from? What do you do with it? These are all questions a consumer would ask about something that is so new and so completely unique.
Let's start with where it is from. Because it claims to be the original, I would like to take the story from the guys who started Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka. Anyone from the South can remember drinking plain old sweet tea in the summer, the very hot and humid summer, that is. Firefly started on South Carolina's Wadmalaw Island. A man by the name of Jim Irvin moved there in 2000 and planted a bunch of Muscadine grapes and started to produce his own wine. While selling this wine he ran into a liquor distributer Scott Newitt. Newitt was impressed with his wine and suggested the idea of starting to distill spirits.
What is it? Firefly is vodka distilled four times and infused with tea grown on a plantation four miles away. It uses no artificial flavoring. It is essentially tea infused vodka. It is then combined with Louisiana sugar cane keeping true to its Southern mentality. It essentially tastes very similar to non-alcoholic sweet tea, but it has alcohol. Now they offer an array of other flavors including raspberry and mint. It is a wonderfully refreshing summer spirit.
What do you do with it? First and foremost, you can sip it on the rocks with lemon. It is vodka, so remember that it still does pack a punch. One of my favorite ways to enjoy it is in an “Arnold Palmer.” Mix equal parts Sweet Tea Vodka and lemonade over ice for a great summer drink. You can also go to the Firefly website and find a recipe list of ideas.
From great food to great music, the South has always created great things that Americans can truly call our own. Here is another one. Sweet Tea has blown up across the country simply because it tastes really good. It is a comfort drink. It is a drink from our childhood, with an adult twist.
Enjoy!

By Nick Agnew of West Vail Liquor Mart