Surfside Iced Tea & Vodka

Surfside Iced Tea & Vodka is a ready-to-drink canned cocktail. The vodka is already mixed with iced tea, so there's no shaker or bar tools involved. The drink is built around black tea and a vodka base. Ready-to-drink teas of this type usually taste like a lightly sweetened, lemon-leaning iced tea, with the vodka staying in the background as a clean, neutral spirit. The tea supplies the tannic backbone and the flavor, and the vodka adds body without a grain or potato taste of its own. The label doesn't state the base spirit or the ABV, so check the can for the exact strength before you pour. Serve it very cold. A can that has spent a few hours in the fridge, or twenty minutes in an ice bath, pours at the right temperature. Chilling mutes sweetness and keeps the tea tasting crisp rather than syrupy. Pour it over a rocks glass or tall glass packed with fresh ice, and add a lemon wheel or a mint sprig if you want something that smells good before the first sip. Drinking it straight from the can works fine too, and it travels well to the beach, a boat or a backyard cookout. Because it's already a finished drink, the main question is what to pair it with. Tea-and-vodka blends like this one usually go well with salty and fried food, such as grilled chicken, fish tacos, fries or a charcuterie board. The tannins and the citrus note cut through grease and salt. They also work next to barbecue, where a cold, lightly sweet tea balances smoke and spice. You can use it as a mixer as well. Pour it over ice and top it with a splash of sparkling water for a lighter, less sweet version, or add a shot of extra vodka or a squeeze of fresh lemon for a stronger and tarter drink. It isn't meant to substitute for a Martini, Moscow Mule, Bloody Mary, Cosmopolitan or Espresso Martini, since the tea flavor is fixed and those drinks rely on a plain vodka base. If you want one of those cocktails, a bottle of straight vodka is the better choice. This can is for when you want a drink that is already made.