Firefly "Sweet Tea Bourbon"

[matthew0715]

And yes, I said both kinds.

That picture is from "The Blues Brothers," correct? Rolling, rolling, rolling...

[craigthom]

That picture is from "The Blues Brothers," correct? Rolling, rolling, rolling...

Yes, both country and western.

Canadians do the sweetened tea, too. I remember a waitress at a restaurant in Sarnia, Ontario, telling me, after I'd ordered iced tea, that they sell it already sweetened in Canada, so if I wanted it unsweetened I had to order it that way. I guess she was used to those of us from south of the border (technically "west of the border") being confused when we got it.

[smokinjoe]

Like Craig said earlier, up until maybe 15 years ago, it was tea that was sweet, or nuthin' here. If you ordered tea, it was coming sweet. If you specifically ordered non-sweet, you were told it wasn't offered, or they would have to make it up "special"...and you got the "look" . When I got out of college back in 1985 my first job was in inside sales with a steel mill in Atlanta that was located in what is called "Midtown". My biggest "responsibility" was to make sure we had an ample supply of sweet tea in the office from Bobby & June's Kountry Kitchen Restaurant, which was right around the corner. That stuff was awesomely delicious, and incredibly sweet. It'd make your teeth hurt to drink it. Although, I have lived all of but 9 years of my life in Georgia, unfortunately those 9 years were right before I moved back and took that job. So, besides being useful as the all important "New Boy Teagetter" to the office, I also gave many of them the pleasure of yelling out, "Hey Yankee, run down and get us some more tea, boy!" I'd call and order a couple of jugs (they put the tea in empty institutional sized pickle, mayo, etc jugs), then drive down and pick it up. I don't know how successful I was sellin' steel, but we were always well stocked on the tea.

You know what the difference between a Yankee, and a Damn Yankee is?

A Yankee comes down to visit, and goes back home....A Damn Yankee stays...

You know what, Yankee? If it's so much better back where you come from, then "Delta is ready when you are"! (Of course, that joke is dated, since that's not Delta's tag line anymore. )

Yankee, I don't give a damn how you used to do it back home!!

[unclebunk]

Not to beat the subject to death, but my wife is English and drinks tea (hot) several times a day, always unsweetened though with a touch of milk. In England, if you are served tea and require sugar, the host/hostess always asks "one or two," in reference to the cubes or spoonfuls of sugar you may wish to have in your tea. Imagine her surprise the first time we went out to breakfast in Memphis and she ordered tea and the waitress came back with a tall glass of "sweet tea" with enough sugar in it to kill an ant hill. Thereafter, she knew enough to order "hot" tea if that's what she wanted, but she still talks about that incident, especially to other English people, with something akin to horror. Nowadays, as mentioned previously by others, whenever we eat out in a restaurant in the South, if I order tea, the waitress always asks if I want "sweetened or unsweetened," which I'm guessing must have caught on over time due to health-conscious people wanting to have their tea without a bag of sugar in it. Like Chuck mentioned in his post, I too remember thinking it odd that someone would offer me pre-sweetened tea not knowing just how much sugar I might want in my drink. But these days, whenever I'm in the South, I know what to expect and just enjoy it however sweet it's served.

Now, what I really want to know is why the waitress served my chicken-fried steak and biscuits smothered in white milk gravy, but then decided to cover my mashed potatoes in brown gravy! Where's the gravy continuity on my plate? Talk about a real horror!

[craigthom]

When I got out of college back in 1985 my first job was in inside sales with a steel mill in Atlanta that was located in what is called "Midtown". My biggest "responsibility" was to make sure we had an ample supply of sweet tea in the office from Bobby & June's Kountry Kitchen Restaurant, which was right around the corner.

Was Bobby and June's on Northside? I remember Melvin's, there, of course, where I once saw Bobby Dodd having lunch, and that Old Hickory House. Old Hickory House may not have had the best barbecue in Georgia, but they had the best in Atlanta, and they were everywhere. Now you have to drive up to Alpharetta or Peachtree Corners to go to Dreamland, an Alabama import.

I remember when they widened the Interstate and exposed the view of Atlantic Steel. Now it's been replaced by that artificial neighborhood, but they kept part of the name.

[smokinjoe]

Was Bobby and June's on Northside? I remember Melvin's, there, of course, where I once saw Bobby Dodd having lunch, and that Old Hickory House. Old Hickory House may not have had the best barbecue in Georgia, but they had the best in Atlanta, and they were everywhere. Now you have to drive up to Alpharetta or Peachtree Corners to go to Dreamland, an Alabama import.

I remember when they widened the Interstate and exposed the view of Atlantic Steel. Now it's been replaced by that artificial neighborhood, but they kept part of the name.

Craig, Bobby & June's is on 14th, between the Connector and Northside. Silver Skillet was another joint with good tea. Yeah, nothing like gazing upon a 90 year old steel mill with mountains of scrap steel to give a beautiful first impression of our city to visitors! At least Atlantic Station is a little prettier to look at. To keep this somewhat bourbon related, Atlantic was the South's first steel mill. The primary products produced were cotton bale ties and barrel hoops.

[Halifax]

...Are there, in fact, set proportions for authentic Southern sweet tea?

My observation would be that the marketing of something called "sweet tea" as a characteristic Southern beverage is a fairly recent phenomenon, but I'd be curious if anyone older than 40 who grew up in the South ever heard the term "sweet tea" as a child.

SOP is 2 cups sugar per gallon of tea. I am 43. Sweet tea has always been a part of Southern culture in my lifetime. When you order "tea" in NC it will come served over ice already sweetened. You have to ask for unsweetened like others have said. As a matter of fact... you will need to do this when you ask for a refill as well. If not, they'll pour you a glass of "sweet" tea.

Most places around here will not even ask you if you want unsweetened when you order tea. They will usually ask you if you would like lemon though.

[cowdery]

I have lived through this little drama countless times as I like iced tea and prefer it to soft drinks, but I drink it unsweetened with a lot of lemon.

Typical Yankee.

[craigthom]

Craig, Bobby & June's is on 14th, between the Connector and Northside. Silver Skillet was another joint with good tea. Yeah, nothing like gazing upon a 90 year old steel mill with mountains of scrap steel to give a beautiful first impression of our city to visitors! At least Atlantic Station is a little prettier to look at. To keep this somewhat bourbon related, Atlantic was the South's first steel mill. The primary products produced were cotton bale ties and barrel hoops.

Is it still there? I need a meat and two to visit next time I am in Atlanta that isn't too crowded and overpriced like Mary Mac's. I used to go to the Feedmill in Buckhead, but there's a Whole Foods there now. The Silver Skillet was near 14th and Techwood, right?

I prefer unsweetened iced tea, too. I like the astringency (like hoppy beers, cabernets, and old bourbons). When I moved to Illinois it took me a year to quit ordering "unsweetened iced tea". I kept getting odd looks, since nobody had it any other way.

[TNbourbon]

...You know what the difference between a Yankee, and a Damn Yankee is?

A Yankee comes down to visit, and goes back home....A Damn Yankee stays......

Joe, in these particular parts, at least, that's "damnyankee" -- no space or capitals. In no way is it a 'proper' noun!:bigeyes: (And I've seen it from both sides, having first been one, and now having been here more than half my life, long enough that many I run across don't know I'm not native -- which, by the way, will give you an idea how many damnyankees there are around:rolleyes:.)

As for tea, Chuck and Joe are correct -- if you don't want it "sweet", well why the Hell not?, and you'd better ask for it that way!

[BourbonJoe]

As for tea, Chuck and Joe are correct -- if you don't want it "sweet", well why the Hell not?

Diabetes comes to mind. I never order iced tea in Dixie because the odds of getting it unsweetened (even if you ask for it) are slim to none.

Joe :usflag:

[smokinjoe]

Is it still there? I need a meat and two to visit next time I am in Atlanta that isn't too crowded and overpriced like Mary Mac's. I used to go to the Feedmill in Buckhead, but there's a Whole Foods there now. The Silver Skillet was near 14th and Techwood, right?

I prefer unsweetened iced tea, too. I like the astringency (like hoppy beers, cabernets, and old bourbons). When I moved to Illinois it took me a year to quit ordering "unsweetened iced tea". I kept getting odd looks, since nobody had it any other way.

Wow, it's been years since I've been to Mary Mac's. B&J's is still there. Once you get off the Connector onto 14th it's about 1/4 mi up on your right. Looks like a log cabin.

Silver Skillet is on 14th, too. on the other side of the road, and closer to the Connector.

I remember the ham being particularly good at Bobby & Junes. Don't forget the fried okra!

[cowdery]

This whole thread is making me hungry as much as thirsty. Chicago needs a good meat-and-three.

[craigthom]

I think meat-and-twos are more common, at least in my experience. Mary Mac's Tea Room is a meat and three, but they are trendy, pricey, and make you fill out your own ticket!

Maybe new ones are meat-and-three, since restaurants are serving bigger and bigger meals these days.

My favorites had a chalk board with the meats in one column and the vegetables in the other. This worked well, since menus, especially the meats, could change from day to day, and 86ed items could be erased.

None of them, as I remember it, served alcohol, but all had sweet tea, just to get it back on topic.

[AVB]

Since bourbon is a subset of whiskey and whiskey (along with bourbon) has to be bottled at 80 proof can something bottled at a lessor strength be called bourbon?

[matthew0715]

Since bourbon is a subset of whiskey and whiskey (along with bourbon) has to be bottled at 80 proof can something bottled at a lessor strength be called bourbon?

[cowdery]

The official label description appears to be "Sweet Tea Flavored Bourbon Whiskey." Although the rules don't specifically provide for "Flavored Bourbon Whiskey," I don't see anything wrong with permitting it. No one is going to confuse this with Pappy 15.

[craigthom]

When I got out of college back in 1985 my first job was in inside sales with a steel mill in Atlanta that was located in what is called "Midtown". My biggest "responsibility" was to make sure we had an ample supply of sweet tea in the office from Bobby & June's Kountry Kitchen Restaurant, which was right around the corner.

Bobby and June's Kountry Kitchen to close next Friday. The opening of the new 17th Street bridge and the long closing of the 14th Street bridge apparently did them in.

[Halifax]

Some fellas in my hunting club mix the Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka with lemonade. I've sampled it before. Yuck.

[smokinjoe]

I picked up a bottle of this last week while at the beach. I enjoyed it. Actually, I really enjoyed it. Maybe, a touch too sweet when sampled neat. But after a little dilution on the rocks, it was quite nice. Very good tea flavors that don't cover up the bourbon in it. They meld very well together, as I think bourbon and tea are very complementary to each other. On some occasions I threw in a little regular Buffalo Trace to spike it up, depending on my mood.

I was not a fan of the Red Stag at all, but I do like this. So much so, I brought a couple of bottles back with me for the rest of the Summer. It seems a natural for Hazy, Hot, and Humid days.

[shannichols]

I've never lived in the Deep South, but I lived in Kentucky for almost ten years and I never heard the term "sweet tea." I was familiar with the drink, it was just called "tea." If you wanted the other kind, as I invariably did (I'm not a sweet tea fan), you had to very carefully ask for "unsweetened iced tea." If you just asked for "tea," especially in summer, you got sweet tea. Sort of like they don't call it 'Chinese food' in China, it's just food.

Sadly, too many "Damn Yankees" (the type that move in and don't leave) have infiltrated the South and now force us to ask for Sweet Tea....and heaven forbid you actually get one of them to get you some...you'll get a can of Nestea. Uggh!

My wife got a bottle of the Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka but I'll have to go in search of this Bourbon one to try it out.