The Long Island Iced Tea is a popular mixed drink that, despite its name, contains no tea. It is one of those mixed drinks that tastes good going down but can quickly sneak up on you. It’s best to take it easy with this one.  The ingredient list is long, but the recipe is very easy to remember: five white distilled spirits (including orange liqueur), a shot of sour mix, topped with cola and served over ice  Essentially, the majority of the bar’s well goes into the drink and some drinkers love it while others despise it. The problem with the Long Island is that it is often made too strong. Many bartenders (professional and amateur alike) will over-pour the liquors. This not only makes the drink stronger, it also knocks the taste out of balance and reaches that point of too much booze (yes, there is such a thing).  On the other hand, if this drink is treated with respect and the person pouring keeps in mind that taste is more important than potency, the Long Island Iced Tea is a good drink.

Ingredients:
½ oz Vodka
½ oz Rum
½ oz Tequila
½ oz Gin
½ oz Triple Sec
4 oz Sour Mix
2 oz Coke
Proportions of 5:8:4

Instructions: Mix ingredients in a large glass filled with cracked ice.

Note that the Coke is essentially to color the combination to a “tea” color. Note also that the first five ingredients can be mixed and stored together in an empty booze bottle.

Variations:

• Long Beach Tea – Everything in the Long Island, but the ​Cola is replaced with cranberry juice.
• Miami Iced Tea – Peach schnapps is added to the Long Beach, the tequila is dropped, and lemon-lime soda adds a bit of sparkle.
• Hawaiian Iced Tea – Using the Long Island recipe, top this drink with pineapple juice and skip the cola.
• Electric Cowboy Iced Tea – Blue curacao replaces the triple sec and the soda is switched out to lemon-lime soda. It’s a brilliant blue drink.
• Texas Tea – Simply add bourbon to the Long Island for an even more potent mix.
• Western Sunset –  Whidby Island Loganberry Liquor replaces Triple Sec and Cranberry Juice replaces Coke .
• Golden Spike – The Rum becomes Spiced Rum and Coke is replaced by  Pineapple Juice; float coconut rum on top.
• Tokyo Iced Tea  – Add 7-up instead of dark cola, and Midori (kiwi liqueur) instead of triple sec.
• California Ice Tea – The cola is replaced with orange juice.
• Beverly Hills Ice Tea – Add sparkling white wine to the glass in place of the cola.

Source: “Kins” (Andy March), The Spruce Eats and lots of fun research.