Long Island Iced Tea
Long Island Iced Tea
Five spirits, a splash of citrus, and a float of cola that makes the whole thing look — and almost taste — like a glass of iced tea. Don’t let that fool you.
About the Long Island Iced Tea
The Long Island Iced Tea is a five-spirit highball — vodka, gin, rum, tequila, and triple sec, shaken with lemon juice and simple syrup, then topped with a splash of cola. The cola gives it the amber colour and faint sweetness of iced tea, which is exactly the point: despite its innocent look and easy-drinking citrus flavour, it clocks in around 22% ABV, well above a typical highball.
Its origin is genuinely disputed between two places called “Long Island.” The better-known story credits bartender Robert “Rosebud” Butt at the Oak Beach Inn on Long Island, New York, who says he invented it in 1972 for a bar contest that called for a new drink built around triple sec. An older, rival story is set in Long Island, Tennessee, where “Old Man” Bishop is said to have created a multi-spirit, tea-coloured drink during Prohibition specifically because it could pass for iced tea in front of law enforcement — his original version used whiskey and maple syrup rather than the five clear spirits used today. Neither claim is definitively documented, and most sources present both without settling it.
Today it’s a fixture of bars, brunches, and parties precisely because it drinks so easily for something so strong — usually served long, over ice, with a lemon wedge to reinforce the tea illusion.
The Classic Recipe
Classic Long Island Iced Tea — Serves 1
- 1/2 oz (15ml) vodka
- 1/2 oz (15ml) gin
- 1/2 oz (15ml) white rum
- 1/2 oz (15ml) tequila
- 1/2 oz (15ml) triple sec (or Cointreau)
- 1 oz (30ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 oz (15ml) simple syrup
- Splash of cola, to top
- Lemon wedge or wheel, to garnish
Method
- Add the vodka, gin, rum, tequila, triple sec, lemon juice, and simple syrup to a shaker filled with ice.
- Shake briefly to combine and chill, then strain into a Collins or highball glass filled with fresh ice.
- Top with a splash of cola for colour, and garnish with a lemon wedge or wheel.
Tips for the Best Long Island Iced Tea
- Use a jigger. Five spirits add up fast — free-pouring even a little heavy on each one turns a sessionable drink into a rough one.
- Fresh lemon juice only. Bottled juice reads flat and slightly bitter against five spirits; fresh is what keeps this tasting bright instead of boozy.
- Strain onto fresh ice. Shaking dilutes the drink and melts the shaker ice, so straining over a fresh, full glass of ice keeps it cold without watering it down further.
- Pour the cola gently. A soft pour over the back of a bar spoon lets the cola float on top rather than fully mixing in, giving a nicer colour gradient and a cleaner first sip.
- Respect the ABV. It tastes like iced tea but drinks like a double — pace it accordingly, especially if you’re serving a batch at a party.
Popular Variations
Tokyo Tea
Swaps the triple sec for Midori and the cola for lemon-lime soda, turning the drink a bright green with a melon-forward finish.
Miami Iced Tea
Cola is replaced with cranberry juice and lemon-lime soda, giving a tart, pink-red version — sometimes called a Miami Vice behind the bar.
Electric Iced Tea (AMF)
Blue curaçao stands in for the triple sec and lemon-lime soda replaces the cola, for a neon-blue riff also known as an “Adios, Motherf***er.”
Texas Tea
Adds a splash of brandy on top of the usual five spirits for extra depth and warmth — a boozier, six-spirit take on the same theme.
How to Serve
Glass: A tall Collins or highball glass — this is a long drink, and the height matters for the visual “iced tea” effect as much as the taste.
Ice: Fill the serving glass with fresh ice after straining; don’t serve over the melted shaker ice.
Batching for a crowd: Pre-batch the five spirits with the lemon juice and simple syrup in a pitcher or bottle (keep chilled), then build individual glasses over ice and top each one with cola fresh at serving time so it stays fizzy.
Related Database Entries
Explore the key spirits in this cocktail: