Long Island Iced Tea recipe
Five spirits, no tea, and somehow it works. The drink that taught a generation that more isn't always less.
Method: Build ·
Glass: Collins glass ·
Time: 3 min ·
Difficulty: Intermediate ·
Family: The Highball Family
Ingredients
- 0.5 oz Vodka
- 0.5 oz White Rum
- 0.5 oz Gin
- 0.5 oz Tequila (blanco)
- 0.5 oz Triple Sec
- 0.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
- 0.5 oz Simple Syrup
- Splash Cola (just for color)
How to make a Long Island Iced Tea
- Fill a Collins glass with ice.
- Add vodka, rum, gin, tequila, and triple sec.
- Add lemon juice and simple syrup.
- Stir briefly to combine.
- Top with just a splash of cola for color — it should look like iced tea.
- Garnish with a lemon wedge.
Garnish
Lemon wedge.
Pro tip
The secret is restraint with the cola — it's just for color and a hint of sweetness, not flavor. Use quality spirits even though you're using small amounts of each. And please, for the love of bartending, don't make this a pint glass full of booze. The original recipe is actually well-balanced when made correctly.
History of the Long Island Iced Tea
Created in the 1970s by Robert 'Rosebud' Butt at the Oak Beach Inn in Long Island, New York. Despite containing no tea, the combination of five spirits with lemon and cola produces something that genuinely resembles iced tea in appearance. It became infamous as a 'sneaky strong' drink — about 22% ABV despite tasting deceptively smooth.
Flavour profile
Citrus, Smooth, Complex, Strong
Variations
- Tokyo Tea — Replace cola with Midori for a green, melon version
- Long Beach Iced Tea — Replace cola with cranberry juice
- Texas Tea — Add bourbon and use sweet tea instead of cola
Practise making the Long Island Iced Tea in the free Virtual Bar game.