Lemons, Tea, and Me ( and you ) 
Last summer I went on the quest for the perfect ‘adult’ version of an Arnold Palmer — the tasty beverage made by mixing lemonade with iced tea.
I started my quest using Limoncello as the adult drink, and then began to branch out from there. At the same time, my friend Siena set out on a similar task using a vodka infused with Earl Grey tea.
These are some findings:
A shot of Limoncello in a glass of iced tea is quite nice. It’s very refreshing if you’re using a tea with herbal notes – like a Pomengranate Green Tea; its even nicer if you float a bit of sparkling water on top. This is best when the iced tea is unsweetened.
A shot of Sweet Tea Vodka in homemade Lemonade is best if the lemonade is unsweetened. This wasn’t as good with a splash of sparkling water. You can get Sweet Tea Vodka in a bunch of stores, its basically a tea version of Limoncello – about 30 proof and full of sugar.
A shot of Earl Grey Tea infused vodka works well in a sweetened lemonade. I liked mine sweetened with honey. I also liked a bit of ginger in it too. This isn’t bought in stores — to make the vodka, you steep a couple tea bags in vokda for a few minutes; there’s a website with the exact recipe and timings to avoid bitterness.
One of my favorite drinks was serving a San Pelligrino Limonata in a tall glass of ice, and topping it with a shot of Sweet Tea Vodka. The ice and bubbles cut the sweetness quite a bit.
A shot that is 50% Sweet Tea Vodka and 50% Limoncello is a lot sweeter, and smoother, than 50% Earl Grey Vodka and 50% Limoncello.
Unless you have tons of it, homemade Limoncello should be savored on its own. BTW, homemade Limoncello with lime is WAY better than the lemon variety.
I’m missing some drinks we made. There were lots. 2 years worth of experimenting.