Name: Long Island Iced Tea
Total time: 4 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 12.5 ml Light white rum; 12.5 ml Gin; 12.5 ml Vodka; 12.5 ml Blanco tequila; 12.5 ml Triple sec; 12.5 ml Sugar syrup 'rich' (2:1); 12.5 ml Lemon juice; 12.5 ml Lime juice; 60 ml Cola

Ingredients

5/12 fl oz

Light white rum (charcoal-filtered 1-4 years old)

5/12 fl oz

Hayman's London Dry Gin

5/12 fl oz

Ketel One Vodka

5/12 fl oz

Blanco tequila

5/12 fl oz

Cointreau L'Unique triple sec liqueur

5/12 fl oz

Sugar syrup 'rich' (2 sugar to 1 water) 65.0°Brix

5/12 fl oz

Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)

5/12 fl oz

Lime juice (freshly squeezed)

2 fl oz

Cola

How to make

Glass

Prepare

Select and pre-chill a COLLINS GLASS.

Prepare garnish of lemon slice wheel.

Method

SHAKE first 8 ingredients with ice.

STRAIN into ice-filled glass whilst also pouring cola.

Garnish

Garnish with lemon slice.

Flavour Profile

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

Health & Nutrition

Nutrition:

One serving of Long Island Iced Tea contains 209 calories

Alcohol content:

1.4 standard drinks
11.56% alc./vol. (23.12° proof)
19.8 grams of pure alcohol

History

This infamous cocktail reached the height of its popularity in the early 1980s and by 1985 The New York Times reported, "A potent alcoholic drink called Long Island Iced Tea is sweeping the Island's bars as well as watering spots across the country."

Of the many stories surrounding its origin, perhaps the most credible attributes its creation to the 1970s, perhaps 1972, by Robert "Rosebud" Butt at Oak Beach Inn in Babylon, New York. This area of New York State is known as Long Island, and the cocktail resembles a glass of iced tea, so disguising its alcoholic content – something that has many claiming its true origins go back to Prohibition.

Gallery

Comments & Discussion

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Loz Horner 7w

Now then. We’ve all had terrible pitchers of this from crappy bars and I confess that put me off making it till now. But it’s glorious. Consumed on a hot 4th July in London.

Chris Dimal 36w

My first rodeo with this cocktail. Made this with 15ml of all the ingredients except the cola. Was wonderfully balanced and refreshing, not at all a nightmare to drink. Nonetheless was not too incredible.

Caspian Berggren Premium Member 1y

It's honestly quite okay. It's very easy to drink but it's not pretending to be something else. Had to try it because of its infamy but probably won't try it again. If I did I'd add a dash or two of Ango to spice it up.

Peter M Premium Member 2y

This drink has a reputation of being a vehicle for easily consuming bad-tasting well-spirits, but it really is an impressive feat of mixology: 4 spirits; 8 ingredients are of equal parts; it all works somehow. This was the first homemade one that I've tried and it, not very surprisingly, was the best one I've ever had. I'd imagine that's mostly a result of using decent ingredients: Plantation 3 Stars, Hayman's London Dry, Ketel One, El Espolon Blanco, & Cointreau.

Avery Garnett 2y

this sure does taste like you emptied the liquor shelf into a glass and topped it with cola.

Jose Cruz 2y

limit cola to 50ml and simple syrup to 15ml ;)

Boromyr Roborym 4y

A unique, conceptual drink that feels light and fresh despite containing a lot of booze, actually.

Promise Xu 4y

If you are tempted to cut the corner a bit and put in only lemon or lime juice, please don't. The combination of these two, IMHO, gives a delightful depth to the flavour.