LONG ISLAND ICED TEA
The Long Island Iced Tea: A Potent 1970s Classic
The Long Island Iced Tea's creation is disputed between two bartenders. Robert "Rosebud" Butt claimed he invented the drink in 1972 during a cocktail competition at the Oak Beach Inn in Hampton Bays, Long Island, New York, according to Liquor.com.
Another origin story credits Old Man Bishop, who allegedly created a similar drink called "Old Man Bishop" during Prohibition in a Tennessee community called Long Island. However, Butt's 1970s Long Island origin is more widely accepted by cocktail historians, as noted in Difford's Guide.
The cocktail combines equal parts vodka, rum, gin, tequila, and triple sec with fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and a splash of cola. Despite containing no tea, the drink's appearance resembles iced tea due to the cola's color, creating the cocktail's deceptive nature, according to Punch.
The Long Island Iced Tea became notorious for its high alcohol content—containing five different spirits—making it one of the strongest common cocktails. The drink gained massive popularity during the 1980s and 1990s, particularly in college bars and casual drinking establishments where its potency and sweet taste appealed to younger drinkers.
The cocktail is often criticized by craft bartenders for its excessive alcohol and lack of balance, but it remains a staple in mainstream bars as a party drink.
RECIPE:
1/2 oz vodka
1/2 oz white rum
1/2 oz gin
1/2 oz tequila (blanco)
1/2 oz triple sec
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
Splash of cola
Lemon wedge for garnish
Method:
Add vodka, rum, gin, tequila, triple sec, lemon juice, and simple syrup to a shaker with ice.
Shake vigorously until well-chilled.
Strain into a Collins glass filled with ice.
Top with a splash of cola.
Stir gently.
Garnish with lemon wedge.