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Long Island Iced Tea
Posted: July 16, 2026
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About
The Long Island Iced Tea is one of the world's most iconic cocktails — a deceptively drinkable combination of four white spirits (vodka, rum, gin, and tequila) plus triple sec, fresh citrus, and a splash of cola that gives the drink its signature amber, tea-like appearance. The most credible origin story credits Robert "Rosebud" Butt with inventing the drink around 1972 at the Oak Beach Inn in Babylon, New York — on Long Island — though some claim earlier Prohibition-era roots. Despite containing four different spirits in equal measure, the Long Island Iced Tea is surprisingly well-balanced when made correctly: the citrus cuts through the alcohol, the triple sec adds a bright orange note, and the cola provides a whisper of sweetness and effervescence that ties everything together. It's a cocktail with a reputation for being a shortcut to intoxication, but made with quality ingredients and proper proportions, it reveals itself as a genuinely harmonious, refreshing long drink.
Ingredients
0.5 oz Vodka
0.75 oz Lemon Juice
0.5 oz Gin
0.5 oz Triple Sec
0.5 oz Simple Syrup
1 splash Coke
0.5 oz White Rum
0.5 oz Blanco Tequila
Instructions
- Fill a Collins glass with ice and set aside.
- Combine white rum, gin, vodka, blanco tequila, triple sec, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Shake vigorously for 10–15 seconds until well chilled.
- Strain into the ice-filled glass.
- Add a splash of cola and give a gentle stir to incorporate.
- Garnish with a lemon wheel or wedge and serve immediately.