Georgian Bay Gin adds Smashed Tea to their roster, a local take on the classic hard iced tea, just in time for cottage season.

You might not have known, but America’s history as an iced tea-drinking nation began not with the virgin, sweetened teas readily available at every drive-by burger joint, but with a Stateside booze-laden version. You’re probably most familiar with New York’s Long Island Iced Tea, but before that was even invented in the 1970s, there were other drinks, like the Philadelphia Fish House Punch, dating back to the 1700s, made with rum, citrus juice, champagne, sugar and brandy, and diluted with none other than green tea. North of the border, the partners behind Georgian Bay Gin, Tim Keenlyside, Denzil Wadds and Mark Cohon have concocted the first Canadian gin-hard iced tea just in time for warmer temperatures ahead. A blend of the original Georgian Bay Gin Smash with natural black teas makes for a not-too-sweet, well-rounded and refreshing drink — perfect for imbibing in the sun.

“As makers of craft cocktails in a can, all of our products start in our innovation kitchen. It’s just what it sounds like, a working kitchen and bar where we experiment with new flavours and styles, mixing and matching until we hit on something new and interesting. Smashed Tea was the direct result of this process. When we tried mixing our Original Gin Smash with iced tea, we knew we had something special. The blend of black and Darjeeling tea lends floral notes along with a touch of briskness. And our Original Gin Smash lends a distinct citrus finish. The result is a craft, gin-based, southern style hard iced tea that’s unlike anything else on the market. We hope you like it as much as we do.” — Tim Keenlyside, Co-founder, Georgian Bay Spirit Co.