Food and Recipes Drinks Cocktails Pineapple-Sweet Tea Punch Be the first to rate & review! Summer in the South requires plenty of cold drinks. By Southern Living Test Kitchen Southern Living Test Kitchen The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. Southern Living's editorial guidelines and Karen Schroeder-Rankin Karen Schroeder-Rankin Karen Rankin is a chef, recipe developer, and food stylist with over 25 years experience cooking, developing recipes, styling food, and entertaining guests at her table and in restaurants. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on June 27, 2022 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Johnny Autry; Prop and Food Styling: Charlotte L. Autry Active Time: 15 mins Cool Time: 20 mins Total Time: 50 mins Yield: 4 serves Summer in the South requires plenty of cold drinks, and for many of us, that means iced tea. While a plain old pitcher of iced tea is refreshing in its own right, our Pineapple-Sweet Tea Punch is even better. Made with chilled black tea, this drink is sweetened with a pineapple simple syrup made with pineapple juice (canned is fine, or if you have a juicer, you can make your own). Fresh lime juice adds a welcome dose of acidity to balance out the sweetness, and, along with the pineapple, it gives this iced tea lovely tropical notes. To make this punch a cocktail, add 3/4 cup vodka, or enjoy it as-is, served over ice. The recipe makes enough Pineapple-Sweet Tea Punch to serve four people, and it can easily be doubled or even quadrupled if you are hosting a large gathering. Best of all, you can prep this punch up to two days in advance, to give yourself a head start on entertaining. Prepare the pineapple syrup two days in advance, then store it, covered, in the refrigerator. You can also combine the cooled syrup with the iced tea, then store it, covered, in the refrigerator. Stir in the lime juice and vodka (if using) before serving. Ingredients 1 cup pineapple juice 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 1/2 cups chilled unsweetened ice tea 3/4 cup (6 oz.) vodka (optional) 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (from 1 lime) 4 pineapple wedges, for garnish Directions Bring pineapple juice and granulated sugar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high. Boil, undisturbed, until mixture reduces to 1/2 cup and becomes syrupy, 12 to 16 minutes. Remove from heat; cool completely, about 20 minutes. Stir together chilled unsweetened iced tea, vodka (optional), fresh lime juice (from 1 lime), and cooled pineapple syrup in a small pitcher. Pour evenly into 4 ice-filled glasses; garnish each with 1 pineapple wedge. Rate it Print