Long Island Iced Tea cocktail recipe

The Long Island Iced Tea, or LIIT, is one of the better-known cocktails out there. It requires four different spirits and can  definitely pack a punch, particularly if the flavour combinations are sacrificed by the bartender in the pursuit of strength. Fortunately, a good bartender – or a solid recipe like this one – knows that when it comes to a Long Island Iced Tea, ratios are everything and greed leads to disaster. 

There are plenty of claims to the origin of the Long Island Iced Tea. It may have been an invention during Prohibition era in the US, attributed to a moonshiner named Charles Bishop and made popular because it looks similar to a non-alcoholic iced tea. Another theory says the Long Island Iced Tea was created by Robert Bott, a bartender in Long Island, New Jersey, during a cocktail competition in the 1970s. The third theory? The cocktail was invented by American chain T.G.I. Fridays.

Whichever theory you subscribe to, the fact remains: the Long Island Iced Tea is one of the most popular cocktails in the world. And its appeal lies in more than its strength; the combination of spirits actually works well, with the cola top-up providing high levels of bubbly refreshment, just like a regular iced tea. 

The popularity of the Long Island Iced Tea means there are a number of variations on the classic. They’re all made using the same method, but changes are made with a few of the ingredients. The Hawaiian Iced Tea, for example, uses pineapple juice instead of cola, while the Long Beach Iced Tea swaps cola for cranberry juice. And the Texas Tea? Well, that calls for a shot of bourbon to be added to the mix.

There are no rules to putting your own spin on the Long Island Iced Tea. Play with lemonade instead of cola, or a combination of the two, or try swapping out spirits. Different gins will bring different botanicals to the mix, altering the flavour profile of your cocktail. You may just stumble upon your new favourite.