Long Island Iced Tea Variations
Long Island lemonade: Perk up the flavors with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Replace the sour mix with 1 ounce of lemon juice and 1 ounce of simple syrup. For a super-smooth finish, use gomme syrup (a simple syrup made with gum arabic).
Texas iced tea: Add bourbon to a Long Island iced tea to make Texas iced tea. If desired, reduce all the alcohol ingredients to 1/2 or 3/4 ounces to make room for bourbon’s extra booziness.
Tokyo iced tea: Make this green variation by swapping Midori (a melon liqueur) for the triple sec and lemon-lime soda for the cola.
New England iced tea: New England iced tea is a refreshing regional variation made with cranberry juice instead of cola.
Blue Long Island iced tea: Give the cocktail a vibrant blue hue using blue curacao instead of triple sec and lemon-lime soda instead of cola.
Peach Long Island iced tea: Muddle fresh fruit like peaches, strawberries or blackberries in the glass to make this fruity-fresh variation.
Can you make Long Island iced tea ahead of time?
You can make a ready-to-serve batch of Long Island iced teas by combining all the ingredients (except cola and ice). Store the cocktail in a tightly lidded jar in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve. Then, pour it into an ice-filled glass and top with cola.
Most liquors last forever because the high alcohol content wards off bacteria growth. However, sour mix and liqueurs like triple sec have a more limited shelf life. Check for expiration dates on your bottles.
Long Island Iced Tea Tips
How do you make a pitcher of Long Island iced tea?
It’s easy to make Long Islands for a crowd, so don’t be afraid to break out a pitcher or large punch bowl! Calculate how many drinks you plan to make, and multiply each ingredient by that number. So, for 10 Long Island iced teas, you’ll need 10 ounces of vodka. To keep things fresh, keep the cola and ice out of the batch and add them to each glass. This way, each guest can customize their cocktail.
How do you adjust the strength of this Long Island iced tea recipe?
To reduce Long Island iced tea’s strength, reduce the boozy ingredients to 3/4 ounce each and increase the amount of cola. Or, try serving the drink over crushed ice, which melts more quickly and mellows out the alcohol content with each sip. For a stronger Long Island iced tea, add a bit more rum or vodka. You can also cut down on the sour mix and fortify the drink with lemon-infused vodka. But this drink already packs a heck of a punch, so you may want to taste it before making it stronger!
Watch How to Make Long Island Iced Tea
Ingredients
1 to 1-1/4 cups ice cubes
1 ounce vodka
1 ounce gin
1 ounce light rum
1 ounce sour mix
1 ounce triple sec
1/2 to 1 ounce tequila
1/2 ounce cola
Lemon slice, optional
Directions
1
Place ice in a Collins or highball glass. Pour the next 7 ingredients into the glass; stir. If desired, garnish with a slice of lemon.
Nutrition Facts
2/3 cup: 330 calories, 0 fat (0 saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 3mg sodium, 30g carbohydrate (28g sugars, 0 fiber), 0 protein.
ADVERTISEMENT
