Long Island Iced Tea recipe

White rum, vodka, tequila, Cointreau, gin and more, stirred over ice in a highball glass, garnished with a slice of lime.

  • 2 mins total
  • 8 ingredients
  • Highball glass
Long Island Iced Tea in a tall glass with an orange slice and a straw

The Long Island Iced feels like a recipe where you add a little of very liquor you have in the cupboard and then add a dash of Cola for colour.

Majorly boozey ain’t the phrase to describe this drink, it’s the definition of it.

And that’s why we love it.

What Ingredients do you Need to make a Long Island Iced Tea?

To make a Long Island Iced Tea you need…all the booze!

  • Vodka
  • White Rum
  • Gin
  • Triple Sec
  • Tequila
  • Cola
  • Lime Juice

Vodka

We compared 12 different brands of Vodka and determined that Smirnoff was the overall best option. Given the current climate with Russia, that may seem like a questionable choice, but Smirnoff isn’t made in Russia, it’s made all over the world.

It actually has a history of Russian persecution and the creators were forced to flee Russia.

White Rum

All Rum is made from fermenting and then distilling sugar cane molasses or sugar cane juice, but White Rum has an ageing process that makes the liquor clear.

Rum is usually aged for at least one year and the contained in which it is aged determines the colour it will be.

In Bourbon or Wooden casks, the Rum will become a dark brown colour, but in a stainless steel tanks the rum remains colourless.

White Rum is clear because it’s aged in a stainless steel tank.

Pretty cool, huh?

For White Rum, we recommend:

Gin

Gin is a distilled alcohol drink made from Juniper Berries and is one of the most popular alcoholic beverages in the world.

It’s popularity is growing year on year, with sales in the UK rising beyond £3 billion per year.

For Gin, we recommend:

Tequila

Tequila is made from the fermented juice of the blue agave plant primarily in the city of Tequila, in the Mexican state of Jalisco.

In order for Tequila to be official (and to actually be called a Tequila), it must be made in specific regions of Mexico and follow strict regulations.

Different Types of Tequila

There are 5 main types of Tequila:

Blanco (Silver) – Clear, usually unaged with a strong agave flavour.

Reposado – Aged in oak barrels for 2 to 12 months, giving it a smoother flavour with hints of oak and vanilla.

Añejo – Aged 1 to 3 years, offering richer, more complex flavours.

Extra Añejo – Aged over 3 years, with deep, refined flavours, often compared to fine cognacs or whiskies.

Joven (Gold) – A mix of Blanco and aged tequilas, sometimes with added colouring or flavouring.

Triple Sec

Triple Sec is a style of Orange Liqueur and you can read more about it in our detailed article.

For Triple Sec, we recommend:

What Equipment do you need to make a Long Island Iced Tea?

In order make this cocktail, you need the following equipment…

Jigger

It’s important to get the mix of any cocktail right. The measurements are set for a reason – to specify a tried, tested, and tasty drink.

A jigger is going to help you get those perfect measurements – after all, it is what the pro’s use.

For a jigger, we recommend:

Bar Spoon

Bar Spoons are great for cocktails you’re suppose to stir, rather than shake in a cocktail shaker.

Sure, you can probably use any spoon to stir your drink but these bar spoons are the real deal. It’s the proper equipment to get the job right.

  • They’re long enough to get to the bottom of any cocktail to allow you to properly stir.
  • They have a twist spiral design that allows for a better grip.
  • They’re made out of stainless steel, so they’re durable, corrosion resistant, and easy to clean.

Highball Glass

Highball Glasses are the most common glasses in the cocktail world. You can put most cocktails in there from The Long Island Iced Tea to a Bay Breeze.

Now, let’s get to the recipe:

How to make a Long Island Iced Tea

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Recipe card

Long Island Iced Tea

Prep
1 min
Making
1 min
Total
2 mins
Serves
1
Glass
Highball glass

Ingredients

Drinks

Makes 1 drink.

Method

  1. Add ice to a highball glass.
  2. Measure out white rum, vodka, tequila, Cointreau, gin, cola, and lime juice using a jigger and then add to the highball glass.
  3. Gently stir with a bar spoon.
  4. Garnish with a slice of lime.

Long Island Iced Tea FAQs

Is there any tea in a Long Island Iced Tea?

No. The splash of cola gives it the colour of iced tea, but it’s all booze.

How strong is a Long Island Iced Tea?

Very. “Majorly boozy” is the definition of this drink: it has five spirits, 20ml / 0.7oz each of white rum, vodka, tequila, Cointreau and gin, so 100ml / 3.5oz of spirits in one glass.

What are the different types of tequila?

There are five main types. Blanco (silver) is clear and usually unaged, with a strong agave flavour. Reposado is aged in oak barrels for 2 to 12 months, which makes it smoother. Añejo is aged for 1 to 3 years, for richer, more complex flavours, and extra añejo for over 3 years. Joven (gold) is a mix of blanco and aged tequilas, sometimes with added colouring or flavouring.

What is triple sec?

A style of orange liqueur. Our recipe uses Cointreau. Read more about triple sec.

What Ingredients do you need to make a Long Island Iced Tea?

To make a Long Island Iced Tea, you need 20ml / 0.7oz white rum, 20ml / 0.7oz vodka, 20ml / 0.7oz tequila, 20ml / 0.7oz Cointreau, 20ml / 0.7oz gin, 100ml / 3.4oz cola and 50ml / 1.7oz lime juice, plus a slice of lime to garnish. There’s more about the ingredients above.

What Equipment do you need to make a Long Island Iced Tea?

You’ll need a highball glass, a jigger and a bar spoon. There’s more about the equipment above.

Is a Long Island Iced Tea shaken or stirred?

A Long Island Iced Tea is stirred, not shaken. It’s made straight in a highball glass: add the ingredients over ice and stir.

What glass is a Long Island Iced Tea served in?

Serve a Long Island Iced Tea in a highball glass.

How do you garnish a Long Island Iced Tea?

Garnish a Long Island Iced Tea with a slice of lime.

How do I make a Long Island Iced Tea for a group?

The recipe makes one drink. Multiply every measure by the number of drinks you want: for 4, you’d need 80ml white rum, 80ml vodka, 80ml tequila, 80ml Cointreau, 80ml gin, 400ml cola and 200ml lime juice.

Kris Barton, founder of ThatCocktail, enjoying a cocktail

About the author

Kris Barton

Kris has been making, and sometimes inventing, cocktails for more than 20 years, and founded ThatCocktail in 2019 to share quick and easy recipes you can make at home.

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Learn how to make perfect cocktails at home

Download our FREE guide to making perfect cocktails in the comfort of your own home. You’ll never want to pay for expensive cocktails at a bar again!