There’s no tea in it

Today is a special day for us drinkers. It’s world gin day, national Rose(ay) day, and National Iced Tea Day. We touched on gin last fall. And, last year we celebrated Rose(ay) day. So, this year, we look at iced tea. Despite its reputation as a staple in Barbecue restaurants and southern establishments, tea itself doesn’t garner excitement in bigger cities. But, Long Island iced teas are a work of art. It’s a drink comprised of 5 liquors. And, ironically, There’s no tea in it. But, it actually does taste like tea. It’s hard to pinpoint what gives the tea flavor. But, since today is also world gin day, we’ll say gin is the major contributor to the tea like flavor. Gin has those floral and herbaceous notes we associate with tea.

I had a bartender friend who got into the field because she wanted to learn how to make a long Island Iced Tea. Many consider it a test of a bartender’s skill since it requires more ingredients than most drinks. The official recipe is equal parts of 5 white liquors: vodka, gin, white rum, white tequila, and triple sec, mixed with a little lemon juice, simple syrup, and a splash of cola. Since it is top heavy on the booze, it tends to be a favorite drink in the college age cohort. Some bartenders are wary of customers ordering them, because they expect they are looking to get drunk quick, which can pose liability issues for the establishment and the server. So, if you order one, expect to have eyes on you, and, perhaps, limit how many you have.

Who would call something iced tea when There’s no tea in it?

The origin of the Long island iced tea is disputed. Credit for the official recipe we know today goes to Robert “Rosebud” Butt. He entered the recipe in a contest to come up with a new cocktail using triple sec in 1972. At the time he worked as a bartender at the Oak Beach Inn on Long Island, NY. Hence, the name “long Island Iced Tea”. But, there seems to be a predecessor. In the 1920’s a bartender named “Old Man Bishop” made a similar drink in a community called long Island in Kingsport Tennessee. But, his version used whiskey instead of triple sec, and had maple syrup instead of simple syrup. And, it had more cola.

You could call “Old Man Bishop’s version the inspiration, and Butt’s version the official variation. Triple sec is an orange flavored liquor. So, personally, I think it makes more sense than whiskey in an iced tea drink; since, citrus is a natural match for tea. Although, substitutions are always welcome. In fact, today, there are multiple variations of the drink with differing names:

• Boston Tea party (AKA AMF) substitutes Blue Curacao for triple sec and Lemon lime soda for cola
• Grateful Dead (AKA Black Widow substitutes raspberry liquor for the triple sec and lemon/lime for the cola
• Hawaiian Iced Tea uses pineapple juice instead of cola
• Midori instead of Trip sec and Sprite instead of coke gets you a Tokyo Iced Tea
• As a nod to old man Bishop, if you omit the tequila and gin, and add Whiskey, you get a Tennessee Tea
• And, adding whiskey gets you a Texas Tea

The Good, the bad, and the drunk

While these variations are fun, the reason we have the official recipe is the perfect balance of seemingly conflicting ingredients creating a unique flavor. It really does taste like spiked tea despite having no tea in it. For a lot of people, the allure seems to be the heavy alcohol disguised by the sweetness. Cadillac Moon sums it up in their song “long Island Iced Tea”:

“When she puts herself together she tears me all apart
She goes right to my head like a bullet through my heart
She looks so sweet and innocent, standing cool and tall
And she keeps me coming back for more just to see me crawl.
She’s one shot temptation, two shots ecstasy. She’s my Long, Long Island Iced
Tea“

Here you see them anthropomorphize the drink, and romanticize the lore of how seductive the drink is. They solidify the myth that it takes you from sober to falling down drunk in a shot or two. While we believe in responsible drinking, you can see where this legend would entice a younger crowd to imbibe in pursuit of the “two shots ecstasy”. But, let’s remind them, Dean Martin and The Rat pack downed martinis by the gallon. And, those were straight booze, no mixers. So, who’s the cool drunk now, kiddos?

Just, don’t drink like Sheldon:

Making the Perfect Long Island Iced Tea

So, it’s really not that hard to do. It’s actually equal parts of all the ingredients. A tip to the wise, though. Don’t use top shelf liquor. While top shelf ingredients imply quality, they also impart stronger flavors. What makes the drink work is a balance of flavors that don’t overpower each other. And, it’s a waste of money to put something like Grey Goose into a blend. This holds true to most mixed drinks, too. You pay top dollar for premium liquor so you can taste its uniqueness. You don’t want to drown it in coke and lemon. At the same time, don’t get total rotgut, bottom of the barrel stuff. The effects of cheap booze will haunt you. Just like this drink is a balance, you need to balance the ingredients. That’s why we use the white versions of each ingredient. They are less assertive.

This drink is the perfect example of “gets along well with others”. make sure your ingredients don’t compete with each other. The 1920’s version used maple syrup. But, simple syrup makes more sense here because maple is too assertive. You want relatively neutral ingredients. And, remember, it’s just a splash of coke. Don’t forget: Boston Tea party and some other variations use Sprite instead of coke. Again, the citrus flavor makes sense. However, cola gives the right color and just a little boost to the flavor. Too much, and you have a boozy Cuba Libre (Rum and Coke).

So, now that you know what to look for, here’s your recipe. Now start drinking, Sheldon…

Long Island Iced Tea

cheffd

Print Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Course cocktails

Cuisine American

Servings 1 Drink

Ingredients

  

• 1 oz White Rum
• 1 oz Silver/clear tequila
• 1 oz Gin
• 1 oz Vodka
• 1 oz Triple sec, Curacao or cointreau
• 1 oz Simple Syrup
• 1 oz Lemon Juice
• A splash of Cola
• Turbinado Sugar to rim the Glass (optional)
• Lemon to garnish
• Ice

Instructions

 

• Rim a tall glass with sugar if desired by wetting the rim and dipping in sugar.
• Mix all ingredients except the coke in a Large glass or pitcher if making more than one drink. Put ice into your serving glass and pour the ingredients in. Add a splash of coke and stir until the color looks like iced tea. garnish with a lemon slice, wedge, or twist.

  Drink responsibly.

Keyword Balance, Booze, Iced Tea, Long Island, White Liquor