Some cocktails have a strong image, and the Long Island Iced Tea is one of them: boozy, low-brow, and sickly sweet. But have you tried the classic version of this drink? Mixed up as intended, this drink will blow you away. Ditch the sour mix and Triple Sec in favor of fresh citrus and top shelf liquor. One sip and it’s zingy, sweet tart, nuanced and sophisticated. This is one classy Long Island Iced Tea: and we’ll show you exactly how to make it!
Long Island Iced Tea ingredients
The Long Island Iced Tea is a highball cocktail made with 5 liquors: vodka, tequila, rum, gin and orange liqueur. Mixed together with cola, the drink has a brown color like iced tea (that’s where the similarities end). The modern version of this cocktail was most likely invented in 1972 by a bartender in Long Island, New York: hence the name. The LIIT took off and became so popular that it made the list of the International Bartender Association’s IBA official cocktails, earning it an official definition. The Long Island Iced Tea ingredients are:
VodkaTequilaWhite rumGinCointreauLemon juiceCola
Why this makes the best Long Island Iced Tea recipe
We promise: this LIIT is nothing like the sweet and artificial flavor you might be used to. This is a classy Long Island Iced Tea recipe: full of bright citrus flavor. Here’s how to make it the best way:
Use real lemon, not sour mix. That’s right! Do not even think about using store-bought sour mix here. Real citrus brings the best zingy flavor. Use Cointreau, not Triple Sec. Cointreau is an orange liqueur manufactured in France that has an orange perfume flavor. It’s more sophisticated than your average Triple Sec. Use good liquor. Sure, you can use low quality booze if it’s all you have. But the better the liquor, the better the drink!
How to make Long Island Iced Tea
You can build your Long Island Ice Tea in the glass: so you don’t have to dirty a cocktail shaker or spend time shaking! The only time involved here is measuring out each liquor: which incidentally does take a few minutes because there are so many components! Here’s all you need to do to make this easy drink:
Stir: Pour the components into a highball glass. Add ice and stir.Garnish: Add a lemon wedge if desired.
Keep in mind: this drink has 2.5 ounces alcohol, so it’s not as boozy as you think! It’s at a similar alcohol level as many of our 300+ cocktails, especially the other highball cocktails.
Step it up with clear ice
Want to make a stunning looking cocktail? For the classiest of the classy Long Island Iced Tea, consider making a batch of clear ice! Clear ice is crystal clear artisan ice you can make at home: it’s not cloudy like normal ice. You can make it in just 24 hours and cut it into organic shapes, then store it in the freezer for all your cocktail recipes. For more, go to How to Make Clear Ice.
A few substitute ideas
What if you don’t have the entire laundry list of liquors on hand, but still want to make an LIIT? Here are a few ideas for some substitutions:
Vodka, tequila, or gin: Leave one of these out and double one of the other liquors. For example, if you don’t have gin double the tequila. But try to have at least 3 of the 4 main liquors. White rum: Use another type of rum (aged or dark) if you don’t have white on hand. Aged adds an air of sophistication with notes of oak and vanilla. Or again, you can leave it out and double one of the other liquors.Cointreau: Use a Cointreau substitute like Triple Sec, Grand Marnier or Orange Curacao.
Long Island iced tea variations
This famous cocktail recipe has spawned lots of variations over the years. Here are a few variations on the classic using different liqueurs and mixers:
Try a bright Blue Long Island Iced Tea with Blue Curacao liqueurOpt for a green-hued Toyko Tea with Midori liqueurGo for a sweet tart, fruity Long Beach Iced Tea with cranberry juice
Related drinks: more highball cocktails!
The Long Island Iced Tea is one of the most famous highball cocktails, a style of cocktail that includes a larger percentage of mixer like fruit juice, soda water or ginger ale. Here are a few more classics to try: No reviews
Go for a classic Tom Collins or Moscow MuleGo bubbly with a Gin Rickey, Lime Rickey, Vodka and Ginger Ale or Vodka SodaGrab ginger ale for a Whiskey Ginger or Rum and Ginger AleTry the pretty pink FloradoraMix up cranberry highballs like the Sea Breeze or Vodka CranberryOpt for a Dark and StormyPour up an easy Whiskey HighballMix gin and grapefruit juice for a Greyhound
