Firefly Original Sweet Tea Vodka
Firefly Original Sweet Tea Vodka is the original sweet tea vodka — a four-times-distilled grain vodka infused with real tea leaves from South Carolina's Charleston Tea Plantation and sweetened with Louisiana sugarcane, bottled at 35% ABV in a 750mL bottle. Created by Firefly Distillery founders Jim Irvin and Scott Newitt in 2008 on Wadmalaw Island, South Carolina, it bills itself as the world's first hand-crafted sweet tea vodka. Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- Proof / ABV: 70 proof (35% ABV) — 750mL bottle
- Base: 4× distilled grain vodka
- Infusion: Charleston Tea Plantation tea leaves + Louisiana sugarcane
- Distillery: Firefly Distillery, Wadmalaw Island, South Carolina (est. 2008)
- Recognition: 90 points, Tastings.com
The One That Started Sweet Tea Vodka
Before sweet tea vodka was a category, it was a Firefly experiment: take a clean grain vodka, infuse it with real black tea from America's only large-scale tea plantation — the Charleston Tea Plantation on Wadmalaw Island — and sweeten it the Southern way with cane sugar. The 2008 original became a genuine phenomenon across the South, spawning an entire flavor segment. It remains the benchmark: real tea character, not candy. Browse more vodka or explore everything from Firefly Spirits at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
Fresh-brewed black tea, lemon, and cane sugar on the nose. The palate is smooth and sweet-tea-forward — real tea tannin underneath, gentle sweetness — finishing clean with lingering iced-tea character.
How to Enjoy
Over ice with a lemon wedge — the classic Firefly serve. Also excellent topped with lemonade or in a sweet-tea Arnold Palmer with the lemonade built in.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is sweet tea vodka?
Vodka infused with real black tea and sweetened — Firefly's 2008 original uses Charleston Tea Plantation leaves and Louisiana cane sugar.
How strong is Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka?
It is bottled at 35% ABV (70 proof).
Is it made with real tea?
Yes — the infusion uses actual tea leaves from the Charleston Tea Plantation on Wadmalaw Island, South Carolina.
The Southern original — get Firefly Original Sweet Tea Vodka at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.