Long Island Iced Tea Variation Ideas

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Looking for an incredible cocktail recipe? Well, I have several for you to choose from. Several Long Island Iced Tea Variations to be exact. Which one will be your favorite? Of course, I recommend trying them all!

Long Island Iced Tea Variation Ideas

There is something about a Long Island Iced Tea that instantly takes me from work mode to the tropics. I want to be on a boat, gliding into the sunset sipping on the good stuff. What you may not know though, is there are several Long Island Iced Tea ideas that deviate from the original recipe. They all are pretty tasty, and I wanted to share them with you. Let’s get into it!

This post is brought to you by my good friend and experienced blogger, Ashley from Famous Ashley Grant. Who also makes one hell of a cocktail! Cheers!

The History of the Long Island Iced Tea

Believe it or not, there are two stories competing for the “origin” of the original Long Island Iced Tea recipe. The first is from Long Island, Tennessee – I don’t know about you, but I didn’t even know there was a Long Island in Tennessee!

Anyway – the story goes that during the United States prohibition days in the 1920s, a guy known as “Old Man Bishop” created the drink and then his son tweaked it.

The other origin story is from Long Island, New York – where I think of anytime I’m drinking one. That story claims a man named Robert “Rosebud” Butt invented it for a new mixed drink contest using triple sec in 1972.

Both recipes call for run, gin, tequila, vodka and whiskey.

The Tennessee version has the five liquors, fresh lemon juice, fresh lime juice, maple syrup and is topped off with cola.

The New York version, according to edible Long Island, includes the five liquors, triple sec, sour mix, and a splash of cola.

The “Official” Long Island Iced Tea Recipe

According to Wikipedia, The International Bartenders Association has developed a recipe that they call the official recipe, and is the generally accepted version of the drink that you would get at a restaurant – provided they are not using a mix.

That drink recipe is:

• equal parts vodka, tequila, white rum, cointreau, and gin
• 2 parts lemon juice
• 1+1⁄3 syrup parts (usually simple syrup)
• topped with cola (usually Coca Cola)

Variations on the Long Island Iced Tea

I’m a huge fan of playing with drink recipes. After all, I once took a bottle of Fireball and enjoyed five different cocktails from it.

There are several accepted variations of the Long Island Iced Tea, and they include, but certainly aren’t limited to:

• AMF (Adios Mother F%*Ker)
• Grateful Dead (Also known as the Black Opal, Black Widow, and some bars even call it Black Superman)
• Long Beach
• Tokyo Tea
• Georgia Peach
• Texas Tea
• Boston Tea Party

Here’s the basic recipe for each of these drinks:

AMF

• Equal parts vodka, rum, tequila, gin, and blue curaçao
• 2 parts sweet and sour mix

Pour all ingredients into a tall glass of ice, stir, and top with lemon lime soda.

Fun fact – The first time I tried the AMF drink at the Tampa Improv and they actually wouldn’t serve this drink unless I ordered four or five minimum.

The reason they claimed was because they don’t like to use mixes, and it’s easier to mix the drink properly in a larger container and they didn’t want to waste liquor. You may find that several bars have this same requirement if they aren’t using pre-mixed drinks.

Long Beach

• 0.5 oz each vodka, rum, tequila, gin, and triple sec
• 1 oz sweet and sour mix
• 2 oz cranberry juice

Pour all ingredients into a tall glass of ice, stir, and serve.

Tokyo Tea

• 0.5 oz each vodka, rum, tequila, gin, melon liqueur, and triple sec
• 1 oz sweet and sour mix

Pour all ingredients into a tall glass of ice, stir, and top with a splash of club soda

Grateful Dead

• 1 oz each vodka, rum, tequila, gin, and Chambord (or raspberry liqueur)
• 1 tablespoon sweet and sour mix

Pour all ingredients into a tall glass of ice, stir, and drink up.

Fun fact – If you order this at Chili’s, it is a pre-mixed beverage that might not taste as good as it should. Ask me how I know.

Georgia Peach

• 1 oz each vodka, rum, tequila, gin, peach schnapps, and sweet and sour mix

Pour all ingredients into a tall glass of ice, stir, and top with a splash of cola

Texas Tea

• 0.5 oz each tequila, whiskey, gin, rum, voda, and triple sec
• 1 oz sweet and sour mix

Pour all ingredients into a tall glass of ice, stir, and top with a splash of cola

Boston Tea Party

• 0.5 oz each Cointreau, whiskey, vodka, tequila, rum, gin, OJ and lime juice

Pour all ingredients into a tall glass of ice, stir, and top with a splash of cola

Bonus Recipe – Rum Long Island

One variation of a Long Island Iced Tea I once had at a bar was called the Rum Long Island – this drink included equal parts Spiced Rum, White Rum, Jamaican Dark Rum, and Sour Mix. Just like the others, all the ingredients were poured into a glass, stirred, and then topped with a splash of cola. This drink certainly hit different, but was still really tasty!

How to Set Up a Long Island Iced Tea Bar

If you’re having a party and want to offer all of these variations, you can set up a Long Island Iced Tea bar. The easiest way to handle it is to make a big batch of the main liquors for your base including equal parts of tequila, rum, gin, and vodka. Then, add the following to your bar:

• Chambord
• Melon Liqueur
• Whiskey
• Blue Curaçao
• Triple Sec
• Sweet and Sour Mix

These ingredients should allow your guests to create any Long Island Iced variations they like including the original. Be sure to add the recipes to your bar as well so everyone knows what to add to their glass to complete their cocktail of choice.

Does the Long Island Iced Tea Have Tea in It?

Nope! The drink gets its name from the color. However, I have known some people to use black tea in place of cola if they are avoiding carbonated products.

Regardless of how you take your Long Island beverage you should know that though it looks innocent in the glass, it sure does pack a punch! Needless to say, with the amount of liquor in it, you’ll definitely want a designated driver for this one.

Which Long Island Iced Tea Variation will you try first?

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