Cool off with an ice-cold Thai Iced Tea. With a hint of vanilla, this sweet, silky beverage is a refreshing indulgence reminiscent of your favorite Thai restaurant treat. Add a spot of rum or vodka to make it a cocktail.
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About this Thai Iced Tea
Whenever I eat at a Thai restaurant, I like to indulge in an ice-cold Thai iced tea. This is a totally different iced tea from the sweet tea I usually drink here in the South, but it’s an absolute treat.
If you like sweet tea drinks, this one is absolutely worth trying! It goes incredibly well with Thai takeout or fakeout dishes like this baked Thai garlic chicken. It’s a wonderful match for spicy dishes especially!
What is Thai Iced Tea?
Thai iced tea is brewed with Ceylon tea leaves, a black tea with a brilliant red color.
Thai tea is often flavored with orange blossom water and/or spices like star anise, crushed tamarind or cardamom. It tastes a little chai-like. (And you know me, I love chai cocktails.
It is usually served iced, but you can also drink Thai tea hot if you prefer! Sometimes you can even get it with boba for a delicious bubble tea! (That’s my favorite way.)
Unfortunately, Thai tea’s orange color is thanks to added food coloring, but don’t let that stop you from giving it a try.
I use Pantai Thai Tea Mix — it comes in a big bag and it will last you a long time!
What kind of milk goes in Thai iced tea?
Restaurants usually serve Thai iced tea topped with sweetened condensed milk over ice, though you may use any milk of your choice.
Wait, a second. Milk in tea? YES!
The sweetened condensed milk is what gives Thai iced tea its sweet vanilla flavor and its lighter orange color as well.
Unfortunately I haven’t found a favorite Thai restaurant near me yet, so drinking Thai tea is an extra special treat for me. A rarity even!
I’ve been craving it lots lately, so I thought it was about time I try making it at home!
The result was a delicious and refreshing afternoon beverage. A great way to get your caffeine fix!
And then I thought, ‘Why don’t we spike it too?!’
How to make spiked Thai iced tea
First you’ll need to brew a batch of Thai tea, and let it cool completely. Then you’ll pour it into a glass filled with ice.
Then add a little vodka or rum to morph this beverage into Spiked Thai Iced Tea.
The result is a sweet and silky cocktail, with a subtle hint of vanilla and a gentle kick of alcohol.
If you are wondering what kind of alcohol to buy, don’t miss my guide to choosing a rum or my guide to choosing a vodka.
You can even opt for your own homemade spiced rum or homemade Irish cream if you like.
Then, top with the sweetened condensed milk and watch as it mixes in. That’s my favorite part!
Then give it a stir and take a sip. Ahhh, refreshment.
If you like to spike your sweet tea, you’ll love this cocktail!
It’s definitely worth trying, especially if you’re a Thai Iced Tea lover like me when you eat out at Thai restaurants.
Spiked Thai Iced Tea
ingredients
- 1 cup Pantai Thai Tea Mix or 4 Ceylon/black tea bags
- 4 cups water
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 ounce vodka or rum, per glass
- 1 splash sweetened condensed milk half and half, whole milk or coconut milk
- ice
instructions
- Make the tea ahead of time: Boil water and steep the tea according to package instructions. Stir in sugar until dissolved and allow tea to cool entirely in refrigerator.
- Fill a glass with ice and pour in vodka, then the tea until the glass is mostly full. Add a splash of milk and stir. Serve.
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Cate @ Chez CateyLou says
This could be quite dangerous – I think I could drink that whole glass in one sip! It looks so refreshing and delicious. What a fun, indulgent cocktail!
Susannah says
Right? Being from the South, I can’t say no to sweet (iced) tea of any kind! Thanks Cate! (I’m catching up on comments — sorry for the wait!)
B says
I’m in Thailand and was thinking Vodka would be the best to mix with my Thai iced tea, so I’m glad I got confirmation here!
Cheers!
@Cate – what’s your recipe?
Susannah says
Hey B! Absolutely, vodka is great. A white rum would be good too! I would experiment. Thanks so much for your comment! 🙂
Tim says
One comment on the milk topping, to make authentic Thai Iced Tea like what you can find on the streets of Thailand, the condensed milk is only used together with sugar mix in when the tea is hot to give that sweet and creamy taste, but not as topping. In Thailand the shop mostly uses evaporated milk for topping because it’s too hot in Thailand to use half and half or milk (they would get spoiled very easily). I use half and half myself because you can use less and it doesn’t dilute the flavor too much. To me the key for making the best authentic Thai Iced Tea is the condensed milk. Sometimes no milk or diary product is used at all in Thai Iced tea, only sugar. It’s called Cha Dum Yen, like Oliang in coffee. I am Thai!
susannah says
Thanks for this info Tim!