United States (a blue curaçao riff on the Long Island Iced Tea) · American
Electric Iced Tea (The Blue Long Island)
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.
Published June 26, 2026
Cultural context
Also called Electric Lemonade or a Blue Long Island, this swaps the orange triple sec for blue curaçao — same orange-peel base liqueur, but dyed a vivid blue — and tops with lemon-lime soda instead of cola. The electric colour made it a staple of 1990s and 2000s party bars.
The Electric Iced Tea is the Long Island in neon blue. Swap the orange triple sec for blue curaçao, top with clear lemon-lime soda instead of cola, and you get a glowing, citrusy drink that hides the same serious strength.
Blue curaçao does the colour
Blue curaçao is the same orange-peel liqueur as triple sec, just dyed blue — so the citrus sweetness is unchanged, but the drink turns electric. That’s the entire trick.
Keep the top clear
Top with lemon-lime soda, not cola: clear soda preserves the vivid blue and adds a clean, fizzy citrus lift. Cola would turn it brown.
Looks like a glow stick, drinks like a Long Island
The colour is playful but the alcohol is real. Sip slowly and keep water nearby. For the green version, see the Tokyo Tea. More in the Drinks guide.
Ingredients
- 15 ml (0.5 oz) vodka
- 15 ml (0.5 oz) white rum
- 15 ml (0.5 oz) gin
- 15 ml (0.5 oz) blanco tequila
- 20 ml (0.66 oz) blue curaçao Stands in for the triple sec — it's an orange liqueur dyed blue, so it brings the same citrus sweetness plus the electric colour.
- 25 ml (0.75 oz) fresh lemon juice
- 10 ml (0.33 oz) simple syrup (1:1), to taste
- Top, about 45 ml (1.5 oz) lemon-lime soda (Sprite/7Up)
- lemon wheel, to garnish
- ice
Method
Tap a step’s number to check it off as you go.
-
Fill a tall glass with ice and add the vodka, rum, gin, tequila, blue curaçao, fresh lemon juice and simple syrup.
Why: Blue curaçao replaces the triple sec, so the orange-citrus sweetness stays — it just arrives bright blue.
-
Stir briefly, then top with lemon-lime soda for fizz and to lengthen the drink into a glowing aqua-blue.
Why: Clear lemon-lime soda keeps the colour electric; cola would muddy it to murky brown.
-
Garnish with a lemon wheel and serve with a straw.
Why: The citrus garnish underlines the lemon-lime profile and looks the part against the blue.
A quick, anonymous tap — no review needed.
Variations
- Classic Long Island
Use triple sec and cola instead for the original amber drink.
- Tokyo Tea
Swap blue curaçao for green Midori to make it green instead of blue.
- Less boozy
Drop the spirits to 10 ml each and lengthen with more soda.
Serving & Storage
Serve ice-cold with a straw — the electric blue is the whole point, so keep it in a clear glass. Strong; pace yourself.
Pairs with: Salty pretzels, Nachos, Fried calamari, Sliders.
Storage: Make to order. Pre-batch the four clear spirits; add blue curaçao, fresh lemon, syrup and soda per glass.
Nutrition
Per serving (1 cocktail (~250 ml))
- Calories
- 235
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 23 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 21 g
- Sodium
- 10 mg
Estimated using standard ingredient data. Values vary with brands and substitutions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it blue?
Blue curaçao is just orange-peel liqueur dyed blue — the same family as the triple sec in a standard Long Island. Topping with clear lemon-lime soda keeps the colour vivid.
Is it the same as a Tokyo Tea?
They're cousins. A Tokyo Tea uses green Midori; the Electric uses blue curaçao. Both keep the five-spirit (well, four-spirit-plus-liqueur) Long Island core.
Why not top with cola?
Cola would turn the blue a muddy brown. Lemon-lime soda keeps it electric and adds a clean citrus fizz that suits the curaçao.
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