The formula
Equal small pours of vodka, gin, rum, tequila and triple sec + sour + a modifier that gives the drink its colour and name.
Underneath every drink in this family is the same potent chassis — small equal pours of vodka, gin, white rum, tequila and triple sec, brightened with lemon sour. The original tops it with a splash of cola to mimic iced tea. Change that final modifier and you rename the whole drink: blue curaçao makes it Electric, Midori makes it Tokyo, cranberry makes it a Long Beach, pineapple a Hawaiian. Strong, so sip slowly.
Start with the original, then work outward.
21+ Long Island, New York (Prohibition-era claim) / Tennessee (rival origin) · American
The infamous Long Island Iced Tea, built in balance — five clear spirits, orange liqueur, fresh lemon and just enough cola to fake the colour of tea. Strong by design, but measured, not muddled.
21+ United States (a riff on the Long Island Iced Tea) · American
The Long Island's pink West Coast cousin — the same five-spirit build, but topped with tart cranberry juice instead of cola for a brighter, fruitier, less sweet drink.
21+ United States (a blue curaçao riff on the Long Island Iced Tea) · American
The Long Island gone electric blue — the five-spirit base with blue curaçao in place of triple sec and lemon-lime soda on top, for a glowing, citrusy, deceptively strong drink.
21+ United States (a Midori-based riff on the Long Island Iced Tea) · American
A neon-green Long Island variation — the five-spirit base swapped onto Midori melon liqueur for a sweet-tart, fruity drink that's far stronger than its candy colour suggests.
21+ United States (a tropical riff on the Long Island Iced Tea) · American
A tropical take on the Long Island Iced Tea — the five-spirit base topped with pineapple juice instead of cola for a golden, fruity drink that drinks like a holiday and hits like a heavyweight.
21+ United States, Texas (a bourbon-boosted Long Island) · American
Everything's bigger in Texas — the Long Island Iced Tea with a measure of bourbon added to the five-spirit base for extra depth, warmth and punch.
21+ Miami / American cocktail bars · American
A tropical twist on the Long Island: the same potent white-spirit base, but coconut rum and a splash of cranberry in place of cola. Beach-bright pink and dangerously smooth — sip it slowly, it's stronger than it tastes.
21+ American South (Georgia, the Peach State) · American
A Southern spin on the Long Island: the same five-spirit base, sweetened and perfumed with peach in place of cola. Golden, juicy and deceptively strong — a porch-swing cooler that drinks like summer in Georgia.
Back to the full Drinks collection or the Drinks guide.