You love your go-to Starbucks drink. You love a good cocktail. Have you ever thought about putting those two together? You get a drink you know you love but with a boozy kick, and making the cocktail is incredibly quick and easy. The results are a win-win, so we rounded up the best liquors for different Starbucks beverages. There’s even already precedent for a lot of the possible combinations, like turning an espresso into an espresso martini with vodka, or a coffee into an Irish coffee with whiskey — only in this case, you can get creative and find fresh concoctions.
One of the most popular Starbucks beverages is the Iced Black Tea Lemonade. It’s tasty all year round, but an especially refreshing option during summer months, so it would make for a particularly enjoyable cocktail base. Just consider how timelessly popular the Arnold Palmer is, and that there are already ways to spike the Arnold Palmer. If you use the Starbucks Iced Black Tea Lemonade, you can skip brewing tea, making lemonade, and mixing everything together. Simply add the spirit and enjoy. And the best spirit to add is vodka. That’s because you want the flavor focus to remain on the tea and lemonade, and the drink’s existing profile of bitter, herbal, earthy tea perfectly balanced by sweet, tart, acidic lemonade. The vodka should just be a splash of boozy fun. You just need one shot; to share, order a venti and add two shots.
Options for elevating your vodka and Iced Black Tea Lemonade
To get the best results, first consider your vodka, since you already have the iced tea and lemonade. You want high-quality vodka, but not pricey, since its flavors will be mostly hidden. We suggest using one of the best value vodka brands for a smooth finish. While part of the appeal of this pairing is that you can make a cocktail in seconds, the more you make it, the more you might want to have some fun with it. Homemade simple syrups are a brilliant addition. Make one with lemon zest to enhance the lemon flavors, or bring in other fruit notes that work well like raspberry, mango, or peach. Floral or herbal notes like mint, basil, rose, or elderflower would be lovely and complex. You could even add a kick of hot honey for rich sweetness and heat. There’s also the option of introducing some sparkle — mix in soda water for refreshing carbonation.
Because of its neutral profile, vodka allows you to either focus entirely on the black tea and lemonade, or build on that flavor profile. But you can also create entirely different profiles with different spirits. A cleaner gin like a London dry would work, as well as a more botanical option, which complements those simple syrups. And whiskey works wonders with tea — splash bourbon into this iced tea for a summery tipple.
