Long Island Iced Tea

Long Island Iced Tea made with 5 types of liquor, sweet & sour, and a splash of cola gives this cocktail its deceptive look and name. So tasty but you’ll only need one!

Some people like to stretch their nights out on the town for hours with light beers and tall glasses of wine. Others want to race for the finish line – and the Long Island Iced Tea is the perfect vehicle for that! In spite of its looks, this tricky cocktail doesn’t contain any tea at all – instead, it’s made up of light rum, tequila, gin, vodka, and triple sec, bringing each highball glass to a whopping 22% alcohol volume! Even with all that liquor and a tiny amount of mixer, these drinks go down nice and smooth and can be adapted in all kinds of ways to fit your tastes. Pair it up with my favorite shrimp recipe and it’s a party!

LONG ISLAND ICED TEA
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Hi friends, Erica here sharing a Long Island Iced Tea recipe a classic cocktail every home bartender should know!

If you have a liquor cabinet stocked with the basics, you can create just about any classic cocktail. The Long Island Iced Tea is likely the strongest one you can mix up, but make sure you sip these babies slowly – they sure do pack a punch! The origins of the LIIT aren’t quite as clear as the drink itself. The name would lead you to believe it to be invented in Long Island, New York, and that IS where the current incarnation got its name in the 1970s. However, the cocktail may have been invented in the 1920s during the prohibition era. That version of the drink was made with maple syrup and whiskey in addition to the clear liquors.

I’m personally not a huge vodka fan, but when it’s mixed into tasty cocktails like a Copperface, my original Maui Mule, or a well-made Long Island Iced Tea, I’ll at least take a few sips!

Long Island Iced Tea Ingredients

In spite of the name, a Long Island Iced Tea contains no tea! It’s made up of equal amounts of 5 different (clear!) liquors:

1. Light Rum
2. Gin
3. Vodka
4. Silver Tequila
5. Triple Sec

The drink is finished off with a bit of lemon juice and simple syrup (or sour mix) and cola – which is what gives the drink its “tea” look.

How To Make A Long Island Iced Tea

Long Island Iced Teas are one of the quickest and easiest cocktails to make.

Just combine the liquors, simple syrup, and lemon juice (you can use sour mix in place of those if you’d prefer) in a cocktail shaker and shake it up with some ice.

Pour it all into a highball glass, top it off with as much or as little cola as you want, then garnish it with a slice of fresh lemon and a straw.

What Are Some Other Twists On A Long Island Iced Tea?

• Long Beach Iced Tea – replace the cola with cranberry juice for a more west coast feel.
• Hawaiian Iced Tea – go even further west by replacing the cola with pineapple juice.
• Electric Iced Tea – skip the triple sec in favor of blue curacao, and use lemon-lime soda in place of the cola for a bright blue cocktail.
• Purple Rain – replace the triple sec with Chambord and the cola with lemon-lime soda for a very raspberry sipper.
• Texas Tea – if five liquors aren’t enough for you, add 1/2 ounce of bourbon to the mix, too. Everything’s bigger in Texas… and apparently, also boozier.

Check out these other amazing mixed drinks!

• Blackberry Lemon Gin & Tonic
• Dark and Stormy Cocktail
• Classic Tequila Sunrise
• Tropical Breeze Cocktail
• Washington Mule
• More Drink recipes…

Tools used to make this Long Island Iced Tea

Measuring Shot Glass: Make your cocktail fabulous every time with these measurement shot glasses. Each glass has ounces and teaspoon measurements printed on them so you know you’re pouring the right amount for each drink.

Cocktail Shaker: This shaker is a bartender’s best friend! Easy to use and the best way to mix up your favorite cocktails!

Highball Glasses: I’m a cocktail enthusiast and a great cocktail should be served in quality glass. These highball glasses have a great weight to them and the classic design will never go out of style.