Miami / American cocktail bars · American
Miami Iced Tea (The Coconut-Rum Long Island)
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.
Published July 11, 2026
Cultural context
The Miami Iced Tea takes the Long Island Iced Tea to South Beach: it keeps the family's potent multi-spirit chassis but swaps some of the white rum for coconut rum and finishes with cranberry instead of cola. The result is a tropical, beach-pink cooler that tastes far gentler than it is. Like every drink in the family, it's strong — the point of the 'iced tea' name is how innocently it goes down.
The Miami Iced Tea takes the Long Island to South Beach: the same potent white-spirit chassis, but coconut rum in the mix and cranberry instead of cola. Beach-pink, tropical and dangerously smooth — as with the whole family, it’s stronger than it tastes.
The tropical swap
Coconut rum brings the beach; cranberry gives the drink its pink colour and a tart-sweet lift where the original uses cola. Everything else is pure Long Island.
Same warning as always
The Long Island family hides a lot of alcohol behind fruit and citrus. It’s a sipper, not a slammer — one is plenty.
One of the family
Change the modifier and you rename the drink — it’s the trick behind the whole Long Island family.
Ingredients
- 15 ml (1/2 oz) vodka
- 15 ml (1/2 oz) gin
- 15 ml (1/2 oz) coconut rum This is the twist that makes it Miami — Malibu or similar.
- 15 ml (1/2 oz) blanco tequila
- 15 ml (1/2 oz) triple sec
- 22 ml (3/4 oz) fresh lemon juice
- 15 ml (1/2 oz) simple syrup Adjust to taste.
- to top (about 45 ml) cranberry juice Gives the drink its beach-pink colour in place of the usual cola.
- lemon wheel and a cherry, to garnish
- ice
Method
Tap a step’s number to check it off as you go.
-
Add the vodka, gin, coconut rum, tequila, triple sec, lemon juice and simple syrup to a shaker with ice and shake briefly.
Why: A quick shake chills and combines the many spirits into one smooth, cohesive base.
-
Strain into a tall glass filled with fresh ice.
Why: Fresh ice keeps the drink cold and gives room for the cranberry top.
-
Top with cranberry juice until it turns pink, and garnish with a lemon wheel and a cherry.
Why: The cranberry both colours the drink and adds a tart-sweet lift — the Miami signature.
A quick, anonymous tap — no review needed.
Variations
- Extra tropical
Add a splash of pineapple juice alongside the cranberry for a fuller beach-cocktail flavour.
- Lighter
Use the same base but half the spirits and more cranberry and soda for a longer, easier drink.
- The Long Island family
Swap the modifier — cola for the original, blue curaçao for Electric, Midori for Tokyo, cranberry-only for a Long Beach.
Serving & Storage
A vacation-in-a-glass party drink. Serve ice-cold and remind everyone it's strong.
Pairs with: Coconut shrimp, Ceviche, Fish tacos, Pineapple.
Storage: Build to order; the cranberry top and fresh lemon are best fresh.
Nutrition
Per serving (1 drink (~200 ml))
- Calories
- 280
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 24 g
- Sodium
- 10 mg
Estimated using standard ingredient data. Values vary with brands and substitutions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is a Miami Iced Tea different from a Long Island?
It shares the Long Island's potent base of white spirits and triple sec, but swaps part of the rum for coconut rum and finishes with cranberry juice instead of cola. That makes it tropical and beach-pink rather than tea-coloured — but just as strong.
Why does it taste so mild if it's that strong?
That's the whole trick of the Long Island family: the fruit and citrus mask a lot of alcohol, so these drinks go down far more easily than their spirit count suggests. Pace yourself — one is plenty for most people.
What coconut rum should I use?
A standard coconut rum like Malibu is classic and gives the signature beachy sweetness. Because it's already sweet, you may want a little less simple syrup — taste as you go.
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