Restless Chipotle

  • About
  • Recipes
  • Videos
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
  • Recipe Box
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Videos
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
  • Recipe Box
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Videos
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
  • Recipe Box
×
Home » Recipes » Beverages

Classic Long Island Tea

Published: May 21, 2024 by Marye

Long Island Tea is a refreshing cocktail that is perfect for the hottest summer day. It's a lot stronger than it tastes so be cautious and drink responsibly!
Total time for the recipe to be finished.Total Time 2 minutes minutes
Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
A closeup of a glass of Long Island Iced Tea on a beach.
A glass of long island iced tea with a text overlay for pinterest.

Classic Long Island Tea is a great, basic cocktail that allows you to create hundreds of variations! While it looks like a big, frosty glass of iced tea, in reality it contains some pretty serious ingredients like gin, tequila, rum, and vodka.

It's refreshingly perfect for summer sipping! This recipe is for adults age 21 and older. Please drink responsibly.

Table of Contents
  • Perfection
  • 🗝️ Key takeaways
  • 🧾 Ingredients
  • 🍴 Equipment
  • Marye's Tip
  • 💭 Things to know
  • 👩‍🍳 FAQs
  • 📚 Related recipes
  • 📞 The last word
  • 📖 Recipe
  • Long Island Iced Tea
  • 💬 Comments

Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.

Perfection

5 star rating
5 star rating
5 star rating
5 star rating
5 star rating
Perfection. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
Jerry

🗝️ Key takeaways

  • Despite the large amount of liquer in it Long Island Iced Tea is not a booze-forward drink.
  • Serve it at summer parties, pool parties, and cookouts.
  • I like to dilute it with club soda. I like the sparkle as well as the fact that it's not as strong.

Ok. This Long Island Iced tea is a cocktail that comes with a lot of controversy.

I've always understood that it was created during prohibition because it resembled tea. I remember my dad making them during the summer pool parties in the 1960s... but some people say that it wasn't invented until the 1970s... and many people put this drink in the category of those "Frat Boy Drinks" that are disgusting.

Whatever. I like it.

I think Long Island Iced Tea is a classic, cocktail and I think it's worth knowing how to make. Since this is my blog I get to say what I want.

A Long Island Iced tea is the basic for all of my favorite drinks at Logan's Roadhouse. It's very versatile and you can add a variety of flavored vodkas to tweak it perfectly for you.

🧾 Ingredients

This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.

Notebook paper with the ingredients for long island tea written on it in cursive.

🤫 Cook's secrets -

Make Long Island Iced Tea in a pitcher! Just click on the servings in the recipe below and adjust the serving size up to about 10. You'll get the measurements for a pitcher full of Long Island Tea!

🍴 Equipment

  1. jigger or measuring cups
  2. cocktail shaker
  3. strainer
  4. hurricane or highball glasses

Marye's Tip

Try floating a few drops of Angostura bitters or rhubarb bitters on top.

💭 Things to know

  • Keep your cocktail shaker and glasses in the freezer for a very well chilled cocktail.
  • I like to make Long Island Iced Tea in pint Mason jars, leaving out the ice, add twist on tops, and stick the jars down in an ice chest. This keeps everything very cool and makes it easy for guests to get their own drinks.
  • For best results use high quality ingredients.

👩‍🍳 FAQs

What Makes a Long Island Iced Tea a Long Island Iced Tea?

This cocktail was originally a mixture of clear spirits shaken together to resemble iced tea so you'll find a ton of recipe versions. In its most basic form it's made up of equal amounts of the big four - gin, vodka, tequila, and rum with a little Coca Cola added for color and flavor.

How Many Standard Drinks Are in a Long Island Tea?

One glass of Long Island Tea contains four standard sized drinks. With 4 to 5 shots per cocktail it's one of the strongest cocktails made - there's usually no actual tea in it at all! Order it "Extra Long" and you'll get even more alcohol.

What Is a Long Island Iced Tea Supposed to Taste Like?

It actually does taste very similar to iced tea - sweet and tangy!

A glass of Long Island Iced Tea on a beach.
Ah... if only that was a real picture instead of a backdrop...

📚 Related recipes

  • Blue cocktail with a red and white straw.
    Sex in the Driveway Cocktail
  • Closeup of a bright red cocktail in a clear glass.
    Alabama Slammer Cocktail
  • Blue cocktail with a lime garnish for feature image.
    Electric Lemonade Cocktail Recipe
  • A pink cocktail in a Mason jar with green and white striped straws. Square image for feature and recipe card.
    Spiked Strawberry Lemonade

📞 The last word

This cocktail recipe is my own twist on the classic. I use Sweet Tea vodka to give it more of a Southern tea flavor but you can use your favorite vodka, plain or flavored.

Serve it over ice in a high ball or hurricane glass garnished with a lemon or lime wheel.

Anyway...learn to make this and you'll have the basics for almost any Roadhouse Tea type drink. Be careful though - this is one drink that packs a punch.

Cheers. y'all!

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.

If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

A closeup of a glass of Long Island Iced Tea on a beach.

Classic Long Island Tea

4.42 from 12 votes
Print Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
Prevent your screen from going dark
Long Island Tea is a refreshing cocktail that is perfect for the hottest summer day. It's a lot stronger than it tastes so be cautious and drink responsibly!
Course Beverage
Cuisine Classic Cocktails
Prep Time: 2 minutes minutes
Total Time: 2 minutes minutes
Servings:1
Calories:314
Author:Marye Audet-White

Ingredients

  • Cracked ice
  • ½ ounce gin
  • ½ ounce tequila
  • ½ ounce white rum
  • ½ ounce Triple Sec
  • ½ ounce Deep Eddy Sweet Tea Vodka, (or vodka of choice)
  • 1 ounce simple syrup
  • 1 ounce lemon juice
  • 2 ounces cola drink

Instructions

  • Add everything but the cola to a shaker.
  • Shake gently until well chilled.
  • Strain into a glass.
  • Add the cola.
  • Garnish with lemon or lime wedge.

Notes

Sweet tea vodka has approximately 69 calories, 8 carbs, and 4 grams of sugar per ounce. If using plain vodka it's 64 calories 0 carbs and 0 grams of sugar

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 314kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 20mg | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin C: 11mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.

First published Jan 31, 2015. Last updated May 21, 2024 for editorial improvements.

A closeup of a glass of Long Island Iced Tea on a beach.

Save this recipe!

Long Island Iced Tea

Pin now to save this recipe for later.

Pin it now→

More Cocktails, Beverages, Drinks, Punches, and Libations of All Kinds

  • Bright green cocktail in a clear glass.
    Hammered Hulk Cocktail – A Bold, Green Drink for St. Patrick’s Day
  • Close up of a cranberry whiskey sour in an on the rocks glass.
    Cranberry Whiskey Sour
  • Closeup of a frozen banana margarita.
    Frozen Banana Margarita
  • A closeup of a stemmed glaass of lavender punch with a lemon garnish.
    Disney Princess Party: Lavender Punch

Love it? Share it!

660 shares
  • Facebook
  • Flipboard

About Marye

Meet Marye Audet, a wizard in the kitchen and a storyteller at heart. Marye is like your eccentric but fun aunt who knows all the secret recipes and isn't afraid to spill them.

Comments

    4.42 from 12 votes (10 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Love it? Give it 5 stars!




  1. Jerry says

    March 05, 2015 at 1:16 am

    5 stars
    Perfection. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

    Reply
  2. Sophia says

    February 16, 2015 at 3:13 pm

    5 stars
    I love Long Island Ice Teas!

    What I can't understand is how they taste like there is no alcohol in them at all yet there is so many kinds of different alcohols in them. Any idea why?

    Reply
    • Marye Audet says

      February 16, 2015 at 3:57 pm

      I have no clue. It's MAGIC!

      Reply
Marye Audet-White, founder of Restless Chipotle Media

Hey Y'all, I'm Marye

Welcome to my kitchen! ☕

NY Times bestselling author. 10 cookbooks. Mom of 8 kids. Homeschooling mom for 22 years. Addicted to Hallmark Christmas Movies. Collector of old cookbooks.

Find out more

🍉 Summer Cookouts

  • Overhead view of potato salad in a glass bowl
    Mom's Homemade Potato Salad
  • Overhead view of the finished watermelon basket filled with an assortment of fruit.
    How to Make a Watermelon Basket
  • Closeup of a finished hamburger in a bun.
    Retro Lipton Onion Soup Burger (Vintage Recipe)
  • Closeup of a star shaped cake covered in white chocolate with red and blue sprinkles.
    Zebra Cake Recipe: Little Debbie Copycat

🫖 Picklefork Stories

Picklefork town crest.
Click here to visit Picklefork

👑 Reader Favorites

  • Square overhead of chicken for feature image.
    Crockpot Angel Chicken
  • Close up of the sauce showing the creamy texture.
    Copycat Red Robin Campfire Sauce Recipe
  • Wooden spatula removing fried potatoes out of iron skillet.
    Crispy Fried Potatoes in a Cast Iron Skillet (Southern Style)
  • Blue cocktail with a red and white straw.
    Sex in the Driveway Cocktail
  • A sliced loaf of english muffin bread.
    Easy English Muffin Bread – No Knead, Perfect for Toasting!
  • Two finished loaves of Amish white bread cooling on a table.
    No-Fail Amish White Bread

Footer

^ back to top

About

  • About Marye Audet-White
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Accessibility Policy
  • Contact
MaryeAudet Whiteandherchildren Dec

Featured In:

Places Restless Chipotle has been featured

We improve our products and advertising by using Microsoft Clarity to see how you use our website. By using our site, you agree that we and Microsoft can collect and use this data. Our privacy statement has more details.

Copyright ©2006 - 2025 Restless Chipotle Media, LLC

Picklefork Tales Copyright ©2025 Marye Audet, Restless Chipotle Media

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




Let us know what you thought of this recipe:

This worked exactly as written, thanks!
My family loved this!
Thank you for sharing this recipe

Or write in your own words:

A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.