Mahwah Iced Tea – Bourbon, Southern Comfort & Iced Tea Highball

The Mahwah Iced Tea combines bourbon, Southern Comfort®, and chilled iced tea in a simple highball with whiskey warmth, fruit-forward sweetness, and a clean tea finish. Built directly over ice, it is an easy three-ingredient drink suited to relaxed warm-weather serving.

A Bourbon-and-Tea Highball

The current Boozeopedia recipe describes the Mahwah Iced Tea as a Southern-inspired combination of bourbon, Southern Comfort®, and iced tea. Its existing record does not document a specific creator or date of origin, but its structure follows the straightforward American highball tradition of pairing a spirit base with a longer nonalcoholic mixer.

What You'll Need

Ingredients

• Bourbon – provides oak, vanilla, and whiskey structure.
• Southern Comfort® – adds fruit, spice, and sweetness.
• Iced Tea – lengthens the drink and brings a dry, refreshing tea character.

Substitution ideas:

• No Southern Comfort®? Peach schnapps can provide a fruitier substitute, though the flavor will be sweeter and less whiskey-like.
• Prefer more spice? Rye whiskey can replace bourbon for a sharper profile.
• Want a flavored variation? Lemon iced tea or mint tea can shift the drink in a brighter direction.

Equipment

• Highball glass
• Jigger
• Bar spoon
• Ice

Whiskey Warmth Meets Chilled Tea

The Mahwah Iced Tea works because the tea keeps the richer ingredients in check. Bourbon supplies depth, Southern Comfort® adds fruit and spice, and iced tea stretches the mixture into a lighter, longer drink. The result is less heavy than a spirit-forward whiskey cocktail while still keeping plenty of character.

Substitutions & Variations

• Use rye whiskey instead of bourbon for a spicier variation.
• Try lemon iced tea for extra citrus character.
• Use mint tea for a cooler herbal profile.
• Choose unsweetened iced tea when you want the Southern Comfort® to provide most of the sweetness.
• Use a stronger-brewed black tea for a drier, more tannic finish.
• Increase the iced tea toward the upper end of the recipe range for a lighter highball.

Helpful Tips

• Chill the iced tea before mixing so the drink stays cold without excessive dilution.
• Fill the glass generously with ice before adding the ingredients.
• Add the iced tea last, then stir only briefly.
• Use unsweetened tea first, then adjust future batches if you prefer a sweeter drink.
• Brew the tea slightly stronger if you want its flavor to remain prominent as the ice melts.
• For batching, combine the bourbon and Southern Comfort® ahead of time, then add chilled iced tea and ice when serving.