How to Make Long Island Iced Tea at Home

It’s the kind of drink in which a little bit goes a long way. In other words, if you choose to imbibe Long Island Iced Tea at the bar, you’ll want to leave your car keys at home and take a cab or Uber home at the end of the night. Better yet – drink Long Island Iced Tea at home!

Fun Fact
Long Island Iced Tea got its name based on its appearance which happens to resemble iced tea.

While the Long Island Iced Tea cocktail’s classic recipe doesn’t include tea, iced or otherwise, its history most likely started in Long Island. However, cocktail historians don’t agree on when and where that actually occurred.

Some historians attribute the cocktail’s creation to a bartender in New York’s Long Island during the 1970s while others go back further to prohibition-era bartenders in Tennessee’s Long Island during the 1920s.

Regardless of when and where the first Long Island Iced Tea debuted, there’s no debate that the sweet cocktail packs a potent punch – especially when it’s served in jumbo pint glasses or in crowd pleasing pitchers.

Unlike many classic cocktails which are crafted with two or three ingredients, the Long Island Iced Tea recipe requires the following laundry list of ingredients:

Ingredient quantities are detailed in the printable recipe card below.

While this ingredient list is long, you likely have most of the ingredients in your liquor cabinet or pantry. If not, there’s no need to buy expensive liquors.

True story
We raided our liquor cabinet when we crafted our first Long Island Iced Teas with Citadelle gin, Bacardi rum, Absolut vodka, Jose Cuervo tequila and Cointreau triple sec.

The most difficult part of crafting a Long Island Iced Tea is gathering the cocktail’s many ingredients. Once you complete this task, the first step is to fill a highball glass with ice cubes.

Measure the gin, rum, tequila, vodka, triple sec, simple syrup and freshly squeezed lemon juice. We like to use a Japanese jigger to measure the liquors and a miniature angled measuring cup to measure the simple syrup and lemon juice.

Immediately pour each measured liquid into the ice-filled glass.

Top off the glass with your favorite cola. We’re fans of Coca Cola but Pepsi or RC Cola work well in this recipe too.

Gently stir with a bar spoon until the ingredients are combined and chilled.

Garnish with a lemon wedge or lemon wheel.

Pro Tip
Slice the lemon wedge or wheel before you juice the lemon.

Serve with a straw and start sipping with caution. As noted above, this cocktail, despite its signature sweet flavor, packs a potent punch.

Although the Long Island Iced Tea is an official IBA (International Bartenders Association) cocktail, you can craft the cocktail to match your taste preference. Here some ideas to get you started:

Discover 10 essential bar tools for the home mixologist.

💡 Frequently Asked Questions

✸ More Potent Cocktails

📍 Pin This Recipe