The Long Island iced tea, or Long Island ice tea, is an IBA official cocktail, typically made with vodka, tequila, white rum, triple sec, gin, and a splash of cola. Despite its name, the cocktail does not typically contain iced tea, but is named due to having a similar amber hue as iced tea. than most highball drinks due to the relatively small amount of mixer.

Origin

There are two competing origin stories for the Long Island iced tea, one from Long Island, Tennessee, and one from Long Island, New York.

A slightly different drink is claimed to have been invented in the 1920s during the Prohibition era by an "Old Man Bishop" in a local community named Long Island in Kingsport, Tennessee. The drink was then tweaked by Ransom Bishop, Old Man Bishop's son, by adding cola, lemon, and lime. Old Man's version included whiskey, maple syrup, varied quantities of the five liquors, and no triple sec, rather than the modern one with cola and five equal portions of the five liquors. It was prepared in the following way:

  • Squeeze a fresh lemon and a fresh lime into a glass
  • Add rum, oz. gin, oz tequila, vodka, 1 oz. whiskey, and oz. maple syrup
  • Mix, then add of cola

It is unknown what the quantities of the original recipe were, when and how it was changed, and how and why the varied alcoholic ingredients were distilled all in the same place or otherwise acquired during Prohibition.

While some sources say there was a recipe for Long Island iced tea in the 1961 edition of Betty Crocker's New Picture Cook Book,

Reception

The cocktail is considered a favorite of university students in the United States and it has thus garnered negative connotations as "an act of mixological atrocity favored by college students and wastrels", in the words of one food critic.

The cocktail's flavor has been described as "bright and refreshing". It is easy to drink,

Recipes and variations

The International Bartenders Association (IBA)'s recipe calls for equal parts vodka, tequila, white rum, Cointreau, gin, 2 parts lemon juice, syrup topped with cola. After stirring gently, the drink may also be garnished with a lemon slice. is a variation of the Long Island iced tea with blue curaçao substituting for the triple sec, and with lemon-lime soda substituting for the cola.

  • If Midori is substituted in for the triple sec and lemon-lime soda replaces the Coca-Cola the result is a Tokyo iced tea, and has a greenish color.