🥃 Long Island Iced Tea
Long drink made from five white spirits (vodka, tequila, white rum, gin and Cointreau) with lemon juice, syrup and cola; it contains no tea, and its resemblance to iced tea hides the alcohol.
Long Island Iced Tea is a cocktail made from five strong spirits: vodka, tequila, white rum, gin and Cointreau orange liqueur, with lemon juice, sugar syrup and cola. There is no tea in it: the name comes from its colour, which resembles iced tea. The International Bartenders Association (IBA) lists it among its contemporary classics.
IBA recipe. Pour 15 ml each of vodka, tequila, white rum, gin and Cointreau, 25 ml of lemon juice and 30 ml of sugar syrup into a tall highball glass with ice, top with cola and stir gently. Garnish with a lemon slice. Difford's Guide suggests shaking everything except the cola in a shaker and adding a little more lime juice.
History. The most convincing version, according to Difford's Guide, links the drink to bartender Robert “Rosebud” Butt of the Oak Beach Inn on Long Island, New York, probably in 1972. By his account, bartenders competed to see who could use triple sec best. The drink was at the height of its fame in the early 1980s. Kingsport, Tennessee also claims the origin, citing a 1920s bootlegger, Charles “Old Man” Bishop, but neither story has documents to support it.
Why it is so strong. Each spirit in the recipe is only 15 ml, but together they make 75 ml of strong alcohol, more than two standard servings of pure spirit. Cola, lemon and syrup soften the taste of the alcohol, so the drink seems light.
Why it matters to you. A serving by the IBA recipe contains about 24 g of pure alcohol, and its “tea” look can be misleading. After such a cocktail you must not drive. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Raw material | vodka, tequila, white rum, gin, Cointreau, lemon juice, sugar syrup, cola (IBA recipe) |
|---|---|
| Alcohol (% vol.) | depends on the proportions; by IBA 75 ml of spirits at 40% ABV, about 24 g of pure alcohol |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Long Island Iced Tea → affects → 🍷 Alcohol and health ← affects ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Made from
- 🍸 Gin, 🥃 Rum, 🌵 Tequila, 🥃 Cointreau
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 Americans
- Part of
- 🍸 Vodka
- Related to
- 🌍 North America
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Cuba Libre, 🥃 Cosmopolitan
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Long Island Iced Tea contains tea?
No. There is no tea in the cocktail: its colour, similar to cold tea, comes from cola and lemon juice on top of five strong spirits.
What does an IBA Long Island Iced Tea require?
15 ml each of vodka, tequila, white rum, gin and Cointreau, 25 ml of lemon juice, 30 ml of sugar syrup and cola.
Who invented Long Island Iced Tea?
The most common version names bartender Robert Butt of the Oak Beach Inn on Long Island, around 1972; this has not been documented.
How much alcohol is in a Long Island Iced Tea?
By the IBA recipe, 75 ml of strong spirits, about 24 g of pure alcohol; that is more than two standard servings.
Why is the cocktail called that?
After Long Island in New York State, where it became popular, and because it resembles iced tea.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🥃 Rum — A distillate of sugar-cane molasses, syrup or juice: in the EU at least 37.5% vol., no flavourings or added alcohol, up to 20 g/l of sugar.
- 🌍 North America — US and Canada: 9.5 million US cows gave 232 billion lb of milk (2025); Wisconsin makes a quarter of US cheese; Canada runs on dairy quotas.
- 🧑🤝🧑 Americans — The people of the United States in North America, descendants of settlers and Native peoples; their home-grown cheese is California's Monterey Jack.
- 🥃 Cuba Libre — Long drink of white rum, cola and lime juice in a highball glass with ice (IBA, Contemporary Classics); by the best-known version, it appeared in Havana in 1900.
Similar
🥃 Bloody Mary · 🥃 Cosmopolitan · 🥃 Sea Breeze · 🥃 Sex on the Beach · 🥃 Espresso Martini · 🥃 Between the Sheets
Sources
- IBA — International Bartenders Association: Long Island Iced Tea (Contemporary Classics): 15 ml each vodka, tequila, white rum, gin, Cointreau; 25 ml lemon juice; 30 ml simple syrup; top with cola; highball glass with ice, stir gently; lemon slice
- Difford's Guide: Long Island Iced Tea — most credible origin Robert 'Rosebud' Butt, Oak Beach Inn, perhaps 1972; resemblance to iced tea disguises alcohol; peak in the early 1980s, New York Times 1985; c. 11.6 % alc./vol, 19.8 g alcohol
- Dan's Papers, 07.2022: Tea Time — the Hamptons' hazy legacy of inventing the Long Island Iced Tea 50 years ago (Butt at OBI East, Hampton Bays, 1972 contest with triple sec; Kingsport, Tennessee claim of Charles 'Old Man' Bishop, 1920s)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)