Spiked Sweet Tea

I made the following recipe for our California Wine Country dinner as a cocktail for us to enjoy with appetizers. I found this recipe on Michael Chiarello's site and thought it was a great summer drink, which can be made without whisky or bourbon too.

Spiked Sweet Tea
recipe from Michael Chiarello

6 cups sugar
3 cups water
1 1/2 oz (or 3/4 cup) loose black tea leaves
2 quarts water
2 oz Maker's Mark or your favorite whiskey or bourbon
Ice
1/2 bunch mint
Zest of 2 lemons

Combine sugar and water in non-reactive sauce pan. Slowly heat until sugar melts. Remove from heat and cool.

Infuse the black tea in 1 quart of just boiled water for 2 minutes. Strain tea into pitcher, add 1 quart of room temperature water.

Combine the tea and simple syrup, mix well. Refrigerate until cool.

To serve:
Fill 12 oz glass with ice cubes, a pinch of zest and a sprig of mint. Add 2 oz Markers Mark, and fill to top with the remaining with Sweetened Tea. Stir and serve.