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Resembling iced tea in color only, Long Island Iced Tea is a strong (but surprisingly tasty) mixed drink made with gin, rum, tequila, triple sec, vodka, and a splash of cola.
Long Islands are made with more types of liquors than you can shake a stick at, and that’s a fact. The surprise comes when you taste the thing and realize that, against all odds, it tastes good.
And I don’t mean “good” like how some people sip alcohol like Scotch neat and enjoy it. I mean “good” to a person like me: someone who doesn’t have a lot of time or energy to imbibe regularly and is happiest with a weak fruity cocktail.
History is conflicted one where Long Island Iced Tea originated: New York or Tennessee? The New York version was allegedly created by Robert “Rosebud” Butt as his entry into a contest for cocktails featuring triple sec. This happened in 1972 and he was working at the Oak Beach Inn on Long Island, New York.
The more charming story says that Long Island Iced Tea was created during the Prohibition Era of the 1920s in Long Island, Tennessee. Legend has it that a gentleman by the name of “Old Man Bishop” created his version which contained 5 liquors (none of them triple sec), whiskey, and maple syrup. His son tweaked it further by adding cola, lemon, and lime.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Tequila: Choose tequila blanco, aka silver tequila, which has not been aged. This lighter tequila is great for mixed drinks.
- Triple sec: Or substitute another orange liqueur such as Cointreau or Grand Marnier.
- Simple syrup: To make it yourself, combine 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved (do not boil). Remove from heat and cool before adding to your cocktail shaker with the other ingredients. Store leftover simple syrup covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks.
Step-by-step instructions
- Fill a highball glass with ice. Pour in the gin, tequila, triple sec, vodka, white rum, lemon juice, and simple syrup.
- Using a bar spoon, gently stir. Top with cola. Garnish with lemon slice and serve.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 1 cocktail.
- Glassware: Long Island Iced Tea is traditionally made in a highball glass, an 8-ounce to 12-ounce glass tumbler such as a Collins glass.
- Big batch: To make a batch of 8 cocktails, combine 6 ounces (¾ cup) EACH of gin, tequila, triple sec, vodka, and white rum in a pitcher. Add 2 ounces (¼ cup) EACH lemon juice, simple syrup, and cola. Have ice, glassware, and lemon wedges on hand so guests can help themselves.
- Sour Mix: For lemon-lime flavor, replace the lemon juice with sour mix.
- More mixers: Try iced tea or Diet coke in place of the cola.
- Grateful Dead: Substitute Chambord (black raspberry liqueur) for the triple sec and lemon-lime soda for the cola.
- Tokyo Iced Tea: Substitute Midori (Japanese melon liqueur) for the triple sec and lemon-lime soda for the cola.
- Long Beach Iced Tea: Substitute cranberry juice for the cola.
- Hawaiian Iced Tea: Substitute pineapple juice for the cola.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not iced tea, that’s for sure! In a tall glass filled with ice, add gin, tequila, triple sec, vodka, white rum, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Stir gently, top with a splash of cola, and garnish with a slice of lemon.
This cocktail was allegedly created by Bob “Rosebud” Butt on Long Island, New York in 1972. Bob Butt created the drink for a competition, and the rest is history.
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Long Island Iced Tea
Ingredients
- 3/4 ounce gin (1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons)
- 3/4 ounce tequila (1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons, see note 1)
- 3/4 ounce triple sec (1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons, see note 2)
- 3/4 ounce vodka (1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons)
- 3/4 ounce white rum (1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons)
- 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice (1 tablespoon)
- 1/2 ounce simple syrup (1 tablespoon)
- 1/2 ounce cola for topping (1 tablespoon)
- 1 slice lemon for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a highball glass with ice. Add the gin, tequila, triple sec, vodka, white rum, lemon juice, and simple syrup.
- Using a bar spoon, gently stir. Top with cola. Garnish with lemon slice and serve.
Notes
- Tequila: Choose tequila blanco, aka silver tequila, which has not been aged. This lighter tequila is great for mixed drinks.
- Triple sec: Or substitute another orange liqueur such as Cointreau or Grand Marnier.
- Simple syrup: To make it yourself, combine 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved (do not boil). Remove from heat and cool before adding to your cocktail shaker with the other ingredients. Store leftover simple syrup covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks.
- Yield: This recipe makes 1 cocktail.
- Glassware: Long Island Iced Tea is traditionally made in a highball glass, an 8-ounce to 12-ounce glass tumbler such as a Collins glass.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
