Island Iced Tea

You've heard of the Long Island Iced Tea, the drink that puts you on your ass mainly because its recipe has grown to include almost everything on the bottom rail of the bar and sour mix (not iced tea, anyway) and a splash of coke. This is the same idea but with fewer ingredients--a nice trick if you are a bartender and trying to save yourself a few touches on bottles. That's not to say there aren't a few touches on rums--its an island drink after all. But there are a few differences that taste more craft than triple sec and rail tequila.

My new secret is MurLarkey three tea whiskey: all the flavor of tea but with an alcoholic punch for your punch. It is made from English breakfast, Darjeeling and Earl Gray teas, and I have to say I love the balance between the three in their latest batch. Not too much tannin, but plenty of malty notes that carry your iced tea cocktail to the next level. 

• 1 oz. light rum (Mt. Defiance used)
• 1/2 oz. dark rum (George Bowman used)
• 2 oz. MurLarkey three tea whiskey
• 1 tsp. falernum 
• 1 dash lemon juice
• 1 dash 151-proof rum
• 2 oz. water
  
• lemon slice and mint sprig

Combine liquid ingredients except dashes of rum and lemon juice in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a highball glass full of fresh ice. Top with water and stir, then add dashes of rum and lemon juice and garnish.