Long Island Iced Tea
Looks like tea, isn't.
Five spirits and liqueur in small measures, lemon, sugar and a splash of cola: the colour recalls iced tea, the strength certainly does not. A powerful long drink best sipped with care.
- IBA · Contemporary Classics
- Long drink
- Built
- Glass
- Highball glass
- Method
- Built
- Strength
- Strong
- Time
- 3 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Ice
- Cubes
Ingredients
Measures for 1 serving
-
Vodka
15 ml
-
Tequila
15 ml
-
White rum
15 ml
-
Gin
15 ml
-
Triple sec
15 ml
-
Lemon juice
25 ml
-
Simple syrup
30 ml
-
Cola
top up
Garnish
- Lemon slice (optional)
Proportions
How to make
- Fill a highball glass with ice.
- Pour the vodka.
- Pour the tequila.
- Pour the white rum.
- Pour the gin.
- Pour the Cointreau.
- Pour the lemon juice.
- Pour the simple syrup.
- Top with cola.
- Stir gently.
- Optionally garnish with a lemon slice.
The story
Origins
ProbableA plausible account, without definitive proof.
The most credited origin points to the Oak Beach Inn on Long Island, New York, where bartender Robert "Rosebud" Butt is said to have created the drink around 1972, by his own account for a contest featuring triple sec. The name plays on its appearance, identical to iced tea, which disguised its strength. A rival tradition, tied to a community called Long Island in Kingsport, Tennessee, dates it to Prohibition, but without period evidence. The earliest known printed mentions date from 1980-1981 in American newspapers, and in 1985 The New York Times described its spread through bars across the country.
Sources (5)
- IBA — Long Island Iced Tea (opens in a new tab) recipe
- IBA — All cocktails, page 3 (opens in a new tab) recipe
- Difford's Guide — Long Island Iced Tea (opens in a new tab) history
- Barry Popik — Long Island Iced Tea (opens in a new tab) history
- Wikipedia — Long Island iced tea (opens in a new tab) history
Taste profile
- Strong
- 4 out of 5
- Sweet
- 3 out of 5
- Citrus
- 3 out of 5
- Bubbly
- 2 out of 5