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Long Island Iced Tea

Highballs · Vodka · IBA official

Long Island Iced Tea

Five spirits disguised as sweet iced tea – handle with care

Vodka, tequila, rum, gin and triple sec with lemon, sugar and a splash of cola, built tall over ice. It looks and tastes uncannily like sweet iced tea, yet holds 75 ml of spirits and liqueur – more than most cocktails – so pace yourself. A loud, fun party drink for summer nights.

Make this in 3D
Glass
Highball
Ice
Ice cubes
Technique
Built in the glass
Difficulty
Advanced
Time
4 min
Strength
≈ 17% ABV

Ingredients

Highball
  • 15 mlVodka½ oz
  • 15 mlTequila blanco½ oz
  • 15 mlWhite rum½ oz
  • 15 mlLondon dry gin½ oz
  • 15 mlTriple sec (orange liqueur)½ oz
  • 25 mlFresh lemon juice¾ oz
  • 30 mlSimple syrup (1:1)1 oz
  • 40 mlColato top1¼ oz
  • GarnishLemon wedge

≈ 184 ml served · 2.4 standard drinks

Substitutes: Dry orange curaçao can stand in for Triple sec (orange liqueur). Fresh lime juice can stand in for Fresh lemon juice. Rich demerara syrup (2:1) can stand in for Simple syrup (1:1).

Method

  1. 1

    Fill a highball glass with ice cubes.

  2. 2

    Add the vodka, tequila, rum, gin, triple sec, lemon juice and simple syrup.

  3. 3

    Stir briefly to mix and chill.

  4. 4

    Top with cola – just enough to give it the colour of iced tea – and stir gently once.

  5. 5

    Garnish with a lemon wedge.

Learn it step by step

History

Robert “Rosebud” Butt claims to have created it in 1972 at the Oak Beach Inn on Long Island, New York, as an entry in a contest built around triple sec. Other claims exist, including one from Kingsport, Tennessee, dating to the Prohibition era, but Butt's version is the one that spread around the world.

Origin
Long Island, New York, USA
First recorded
1972

Bartender's notes

  • Measure carefully – free-pouring five spirits is the quickest way to a harsh drink.
  • Many bars shake everything except the cola with ice, strain over fresh ice and then top up; it gives a brighter, better-integrated drink.
  • Swap the cola for cranberry juice for a Long Beach Iced Tea.
StrongCitrusSweetRefreshing

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