Simple And Strong Long Island Iced Tea Recipe

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The Long Island iced tea has long been considered the type of drink perfect for college students or young adults to order at a bar — it's strong (so you don't need many to feel the alcohol's affects), but the flavor of the alcohol is almost indiscernible. In fact, recipe developer Michelle McGlinn considers the Long Island iced tea to be a "fun summer drink," and she herself has many fond memories of sipping on the libation when she was in college. "Long Islands were a favorite of ours in college. We had one bar that called them 'Texas Teas' and served them in mason jars. Something about that was so fun and endearing," she recalls.

For the most part, McGlinn keeps things nice and classic in her recipe, resulting in the absolute best Long Island iced tea. She does like to use honey, though, despite it not being typically used in the drink. As she explains, she feels this sweetener specifically amps up the tea flavor. Also, she notes how easy it is to drink a little too much. "You can't taste the alcohol at all, no matter how sensitive you are to any of the spirits used — the cola and lemon cover the taste completely, making these dangerously delicious. Enjoy very responsibly!" 

The Long Island Iced Tea, as any bartender can tell you, is made with all of the clear bottles on the bar rail: vodka, light rum, gin, and tequila. It's also got a little triple sec to give it some sweetness. While you can use high-end spirits if you like, the beauty of the LIIT is that it pretty much tastes the same when it's made from bottom-shelf booze.

In addition to the alcohol, this recipe also contains honey, lemon juice, and a splash of cola. You'll also need some ice cubes to chill the drink and mint sprigs and lemon slices for garnish, if desired.

Although Long Island iced teas made in bars often include bottled sour mix, here fresh lemon juice (plus honey) takes the place of this. Slice and squeeze a lemon and measure out 2 tablespoons (1 ounce). You can also cut a few slices of lemon to use as a garnish.

Measure out all of the different alcohols and add them to a cocktail shaker (or a lidded jar). You won't need a jigger to do this since, as it just so happens, ½ ounce = 1 tablespoon. Add the honey and lemon juice, as well. Stir these ingredients to combine, then add a few ice cubes. 

With all the ingredients added to a cocktail shaker (or a lidded jar), stir them to combine, then put the lid on your implement and shake the drink with the ice for about 15 seconds in order to chill it.

Fill a tall glass with ice cubes. You can use any glass you like for a Long Island iced tea as long as it's big enough to hold ice cubes and at least 4 ounces of liquid. McGlinn likes to use Mason jars, calling them "fun and endearing" and noting how they contribute to an overall summery vibe.

Strain the drink onto the fresh ice, then top it with a splash of cola. While the typical pour is 1 ounce (2 tablespoons), you can use more cola if you'd prefer a sweeter drink. Garnish the drink with lemon slices and mint to extend the iced tea theme. 

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While this may be a recipe for a tried and true concoction, there are still plenty of ways to customize and upgrade your Long Island iced tea. McGlinn already takes a creative liberty by opting for honey as opposed to the bartender standard of gomme syrup, explaining that "it is hard to find and generally not useful to have in a home bar." So, honey works wonderfully here, though you can easily use simple syrup or maple syrup to sweeten up your cocktail instead.

There's also room to experiment with the booze here. If the addition of four liquors plus triple sec is just a little too boozy for your taste, feel free to lessen the amount that you add or omit a certain liquor entirely. Not a fan of gin but like drinking vodka, for example? Either omit gin from your cocktail or compensate by doubling the amount of vodka (or tequila or rum).

Finally, you can get creative with the garnishes, though the mint and lemon wedges to add a wonderfully fresh flair. "You can garnish with whatever herbs or fruits you love," McGlinn says. "Personally I love fruits like raspberries and blueberries in my long islands, it makes it feel fancy and gives a nice fruity flavor!" Another way to make your Long Island iced tea fruity is to opt for a fruit-flavored liquor, like pineapple, peach, or strawberry vodka.

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