Long Island Iced Tea

History of the Long Island Iced Tea

"For such a powerful potable, the Long Island Iced Tea has a fairly short and uneventful background. Sometime around 1976, a bartender at the Oak Beach Inn of Hampton Bays, Long Island, concocted a drink from equal parts vodka, gin, rum, tequila, and triple sec, plus some cola to give it a tealike color. Robert "Rosebud" Butt was the inventor, and his drink spread quickly. By the mid-1980s, the Long Island Iced Tea was a mainstay at many American bars."

Pre-History of the Long Island Iced Tea

BOB WHITTAKER'S WAIKIKI BARTENDER "TROPICAL HAWAIIAN DRINK RECIPES" Sunrise Publications, Inc., Honolulu 1980 Pg. 19:

Iced Tea

• 1 oz. Vodka
• 1/4 oz. Gin
• 1 1/2 oz. Rum
• 2 Dashes Triple Sec
• 2 Dashes Sweet Sour
• 1 Dashes Roses Lime Juice
• 2 Dashes Simple Syrup
• Splash Coke

Pour into bucket glass with ice; top with a lemon twist.

"TERRIFIC TROPICALS: DRINK RECIPES" by Inge Adolpho, Ala Hou Publishers, Honolulu, 1983, Pg. 52:

Iced Tea

• 1 oz. Vodka
• 1/4 oz. Gin
• 1 1/2 oz. Rum
• 2 Dashes Triple Sec
• 2 Dashes Sweet Sour
• 2 Dashes Roses Lime Juice
• 2 Dashes Simple Syrup

Pour into chimney glass and splash with coke.

Long Island Controversy

Does it have Tequila in it? Isn't a Long Island with Tequila called a Texas Tea?

Common Recipes

Recipe#1: Gary Regan

• 1/2 ounce gin
• 1/2 ounce tequila
• 1/2 ounce vodka
• 1/2 ounce white rum
• 1/2 ounce Triple Sec
• 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
• 3 ounces cola
• 1 lemon wedge, for garnish

Pour all of the ingredients into an ice-filled collins glass. Add the garnish.

Recipe#2: Dale DeGroff

• 1/4 oz. Vodka
• 1/4 oz. Gin
• 1/4 oz. Rum
• 1/4 oz. Tequila
• 1/2 oz. Triple Sec
• 3/4 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1/2 oz. Simple syrup
• Coca Cola

Combine all the ingredients except the Coca Cola and stir. Top with Coca Cola and serve and a collins glass. Garnish with a wedge of lemon.