Long Island Iced Tea

By Eric Kim

Updated April 7, 2023

Long Island Iced Tea
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Judy Kim.
Total Time
10 minutes
Rating
4(794)
Comments
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As white light is the combination of all wavelengths of color visible to the human eye, so too is Long Island iced tea the rainbow of high-proof liquors mixed into a balanced cocktail. When done right, it’s surprisingly bright and refreshing. A prism of vodka, gin, rum, tequila and triple sec, this batch variation — ideally served in a pitcher — is a cooling blitz of a drink, reminiscent of the best parts of a whiskey sour, or a hot summer’s day. Fresh lemon and lime juice bring sourness and bitterness, and a splash of cola and a bit of maple syrup round things out. Two competing origin stories explain the Long Island iced tea’s name: one in Prohibition-era Long Island in Kingsport, Tennessee, where Charles Bishop is said to have created the drink with maple syrup in the 1920s; and the other in 1970s Long Island, New York, where the bartender Robert Butt mixed one up with triple sec at Oak Beach Inn.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 2cups ice cubes, plus more for serving
  • 2ounces vodka
  • 2ounces gin
  • 2ounces white rum
  • 2ounces blanco tequila
  • 2ounces triple sec
  • 2ounces maple syrup
  • 2ounces fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
  • 1½ounces fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
  • ¼teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal), plus more to taste
  • 8ounces Coca-Cola
  • Lemon and lime slices, for garnish
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

166 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 13 grams sugars; 0 grams protein; 86 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large pitcher, combine the ice, vodka, gin, rum, tequila, triple sec, maple syrup, lemon juice and lime juice. Add the salt, which accentuates all of the flavors. Stir with a wooden spoon until the pitcher feels cold to the touch and the ice has dissolved slightly, about 30 seconds. Top with the Coca-Cola.

  2. Step 2

    To serve, pour the cocktail into individual glasses filled with fresh ice, and garnish with lemon and lime slices. Sprinkle with more salt, if you’d like.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
794 user ratings
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Comments

John R

It’s amusing that someone considering a cocktail with a laundry list of alcohol would blanch at the notion of having a little bit of Coke in the mix. With 8 ounces of Coke and factoring in the recommended 4 to 6 servings, you will be consuming at most a quarter cup. You’ll live. There are also numerous boutique soda brands out there now, who tend to use real sugar and less of it, assuming that’s likely a big part of the concern.

PeterB

Make sure you have a designated driver. Deceptively intoxicating. We won't serve them in our restaurant.

Karen

Cola is a traditional part of the drink. Any brand will work. It won't be a Long Island Iced Tea without it, though.

BNickal

When made correctly it is the taste of summer. Just make sure you’re not driving. Spent almost every Saturday at Half Fast Subs in Boulder, CO enjoying these after 3 hours of 3Wall Handball. Subs were great too!

mb

I was today years old when I learned there was no actual tea in a Long Island Iced Tea ! Yummy recipe, but it is a bullet train to being over the limit; new name should include Uber in it somewhere.

Erik

One ounce of maple syrup is adequate. Try good quality maple syrup and be sure to store the opened container in the fridge. The syrup should be amber in color.

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