Long Island Iced Tea
Encyclopedia
A Long Island Iced Tea is a highball
made with, among other ingredients, vodka
, gin
, tequila
, and rum
. A popular version mixes equal parts vodka, gin, tequila, rum, and triple sec
with 1½ parts sour mix
and a splash of cola
. Most variants use equal parts of the main liquors but include a smaller amount of triple sec (or other orange-flavored liqueur). Close variants often replace the sour mix with lemon juice, replace the cola with actual iced tea
, or add white crème de menthe
; however, most variants do not include any tea
, despite the name of the drink. Some restaurants substitute brandy
for the tequila. A true Long Island Iced Tea, as it was originally made, has always had tequila.
The drink has a much higher alcohol
concentration
(about 22 percent) than most highballs because of the proportionally small amount of mixer
. Long islands can be ordered "extra long", which further increases the alcohol to mixer ratio.
Outside the United States, this highball is often altered, due to the unpopularity of sour mix. Long Island Iced Tea served outside the States is often made of liquors and cola alone (without sour mix), with lemon or lime juice, orange juice or with lime cordial
.
at the Oak Beach Inn
, in the Town of Babylon
, Long Island, New York.
Highball
Highball is a type of alcoholic drinkHighball may also refer to:* Highball glass, a drinking vessel* Highball Wilson , professional baseball pitcher* the British Highball bouncing bomb project from World War 2...
made with, among other ingredients, vodka
Vodka
Vodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....
, gin
Gin
Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries . Although several different styles of gin have existed since its origins, it is broadly differentiated into two basic legal categories...
, tequila
Tequila
Tequila is a spirit made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila, northwest of Guadalajara, and in the highlands of the western Mexican state of Jalisco....
, and rum
Rum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
. A popular version mixes equal parts vodka, gin, tequila, rum, and triple sec
Triple sec
Triple sec, originally Curaçao triple sec, is a variety of Curaçao liqueur, an orange-flavoured liqueur made from the dried peels of bitter and sweet orange....
with 1½ parts sour mix
Sour mix
Sour mix is a mixer used in many cocktails. It is made from approximately equal parts lemon and/or lime juice and simple syrup and shaken vigorously with ice...
and a splash of cola
Cola
Cola is a carbonated beverage that was typically flavored by the kola nut as well as vanilla and other flavorings, however, some colas are now flavored artificially. It became popular worldwide after druggist John Pemberton invented Coca-Cola in 1886...
. Most variants use equal parts of the main liquors but include a smaller amount of triple sec (or other orange-flavored liqueur). Close variants often replace the sour mix with lemon juice, replace the cola with actual iced tea
Iced tea
Iced tea is a form of cold tea, often served in a glass with ice. It may or may not be sweetened. Iced tea is also a popular packaged drink. It can be mixed with flavored syrup, with common flavors including lemon, peach, raspberry, lime, passion fruit, and cherry...
, or add white crème de menthe
Crème de menthe
Crème de menthe is a sweet, mint-flavored alcoholic beverage. Its flavor is primarily derived from Corsican mint. It is available commercially in a colorless and a green version...
; however, most variants do not include any tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
, despite the name of the drink. Some restaurants substitute brandy
Brandy
Brandy is a spirit produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35%–60% alcohol by volume and is typically taken as an after-dinner drink...
for the tequila. A true Long Island Iced Tea, as it was originally made, has always had tequila.
The drink has a much higher alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
concentration
Concentration
In chemistry, concentration is defined as the abundance of a constituent divided by the total volume of a mixture. Four types can be distinguished: mass concentration, molar concentration, number concentration, and volume concentration...
(about 22 percent) than most highballs because of the proportionally small amount of mixer
Drink mixer
Drink mixers are the non-alcoholic ingredients in mixed drinks and cocktails. There are many reasons mixers are used. They change or enhance flavors or add new ones to a drink. Mixers dilute the drink, lowering the alcohol by volume in the drink. They may make the drink sweeter, more sour, or more...
. Long islands can be ordered "extra long", which further increases the alcohol to mixer ratio.
Outside the United States, this highball is often altered, due to the unpopularity of sour mix. Long Island Iced Tea served outside the States is often made of liquors and cola alone (without sour mix), with lemon or lime juice, orange juice or with lime cordial
Lime cordial
Lime cordial is a mixture of concentrated lime and sugar, sometimes used as a mixer for cocktail. While lime cordial can be diluted and consumed with vodka or water, any liquid will suffice....
.
History
Long Island Iced Tea, a summer drink, was first served in the mid 1970s by Robert (Rosebud) Butts, a bartenderBartender
A bartender is a person who serves beverages behind a counter in a bar, pub, tavern, or similar establishment. A bartender, in short, "tends the bar". The term barkeeper may carry a connotation of being the bar's owner...
at the Oak Beach Inn
Oak Beach Inn
The Oak Beach Inn, commonly referred to by the abbreviation OBI, was a Long Island nightclub located in Oak Beach, on Jones Beach Island in the Town of Babylon, Suffolk County, New York....
, in the Town of Babylon
Babylon (town), New York
The Town of Babylon is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York . Located on Long Island, the town population was 211,792 as of the 2000 census. There is also a Village of Babylon located within the town. It borders Nassau County to the West, and the Atlantic Ocean to the South...
, Long Island, New York.
Variants
- Peach Long Island: tequila is substituted with peach schnapps
- Jersey Tea: cola is substituted with a shot of JägermeisterJägermeisterJägermeister is a German 70-proof digestif made with 56 different herbs and spices. It is the flagship product of Mast-Jägermeister SE, headquartered in Wolfenbüttel, south of Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, Germany.- History :...
- Pittsburgh Tea: tequila is substituted with Wild TurkeyWild Turkey (bourbon)Wild Turkey is a brand of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey distilled and bottled by the Austin, Nichols division of Campari Group. Its nicknames include "The Dirty Bird", "Gobble Gobble", "Bombed Tom", "Thunder Chicken", "Boat Gas", "Whiskey Tango", "The Screamin' Eagle", and "The Kickin’...
- Long Beach Iced Tea: cola is substituted with cranberry juiceCranberry juiceCranberry juice is the juice of the cranberry. Commercially, it is sold in either as a pure juice, which is quite tart, or, more commonly, as cranberry juice "cocktail" or "drink" , in blends with other juices, such as apple or grape, or mixed with water and corn syrup, sugar, or an artificial...
- California Iced Tea: cola is substituted with orange juiceOrange juiceOrange juice is a popular beverage made from oranges. It is made by extraction from the fresh fruit, by desiccation and subsequent reconstitution of dried juice, or by concentration of the juice and the subsequent addition of water to the concentrate...
- Tokyo Iced Tea: Triple Sec is substituted with Midori liqueurMidori liqueurMidori is a bright, green-coloured, muskmelon-flavored cordial made by Suntory. It is manufactured in Japan, Mexico and France, though it was made only in Japan until 1987. It was first concocted in 1978, with a launch party held in New York's famous Studio 54....
and cola with Lemon-lime soda - Alaskan Iced Tea: cola is substituted with Blue Curaçao
- Blue Motherfucker or Electric Iced Tea: triple sec is substituted with Blue Curaçao and cola with Sprite
- Tennessee Iced Tea tequila is substituted with Jack Daniel'sJack Daniel'sJack Daniel's is a brand of sour mash Tennessee whiskey that is among the world's best-selling liquors. It is known for its square bottles and black label. As of November, 2007, one blogger was claiming that it was the best-selling whiskey in the world. It is produced in Lynchburg, Tennessee by...
- Beverly Hills Iced Tea cola is substituted with Champagne
- Harvard Iced Tea cola is substituted with Champagne, tequila is substituted with GinGinGin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries . Although several different styles of gin have existed since its origins, it is broadly differentiated into two basic legal categories...
- Langøyene iste tequila is substituted with Norwegian AkvavitAkvavitAkvavit or aquavit is a traditional flavoured spirit that is principally produced in Scandinavia, where it has been produced since the 15th century....
- Grateful Dead Cola is substituted with Chambord raspberry liquor or RazzmatazzRazzmatazzRazzmatazz may refer to:* "Razzmatazz" , by Pulp* "Razzamatazz", a song by Quincy Jones from The Dude* Razzmatazz , an Indian dance reality show...
- Flint, Michigan Iced Tea: Cola is substituted with Vernor's Ginger Ale.
- Lesbos Iced Tea: cola is substituted with OuzoOuzoOuzo is an anise-flavored aperitif that is widely consumed in Greece and Cyprus, and a symbol of Greek culture.-History:Traditionally, tsipouro is said to have been the pet project of a group of 14th century monks living in a monastery on holy Mount Athos. One version of it is flavored with anise...
and Canadian whiskey. - Texas Tea: gin is substituted with tequilaTequilaTequila is a spirit made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila, northwest of Guadalajara, and in the highlands of the western Mexican state of Jalisco....
. - Black Opal - Seattle: Mixer substituted with GrenadineGrenadineGrenadine is traditionally a red syrup. It is used as an ingredient in cocktails, both for its flavor and to give a reddish/pink tinge to mixed drinks. "Grenadines" are also made by mixing the syrup with cold water in a glass or pitcher, sometimes with ice....
.