Southern Godfather

Pour 2 1/2 cups boiling water over tea bags and mint leaves; cover and steep 5 minutes. Discard tea bags and mint leaves; stir in sugar.

Combine tea, whiskey, and almond liqueur over ice in a large pitcher; stir gently. Garnish, if desired.

Serve It in Style: Keep your drinks chilled in an innovative homemade cooler. Tia suggests filling a galvanized tin tray with water, evenly spacing emptied but weighted soup cans in it, and placing it in the freezer. Once the water's frozen, remove the cans and you're left with a fabulous cooler.