Table & Traditions Recipes, rituals & real meals
About Favorites 0

United States, Texas (a bourbon-boosted Long Island) · American

Texas Tea (The Long Island, Bigger)

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.

By Table & Traditions Editors

Published June 26, 2026

A tall dark Texas Tea over ice the colour of strong tea, with a lemon wedge and a straw, on a wooden bar.

The Texas Tea takes the Long Island Iced Tea and, true to the state's reputation for excess, adds whiskey — usually bourbon — to the line-up. 'Texas tea' is also old slang for crude oil, which fits a drink this big and dark.

Yield
Makes 1
Prep
5 min
Cook
0 min
Total
About 5 min
Difficulty
Easy

The Texas Tea is a Long Island Iced Tea with a sixth spirit: bourbon. The whiskey adds oak-and-vanilla depth the standard build doesn’t have — and, true to the name, makes a big drink bigger.

One change: add bourbon

Everything follows the Long Island template — half-ounce pours of vodka, rum, gin, tequila and triple sec, fresh lemon, a little syrup, cola to colour. The Texas move is a half-ounce of bourbon dropped in alongside.

Cola for colour, not body

Even with the extra whiskey, the cola’s job is unchanged: a splash for the iced-tea hue and a touch of sweetness. The bourbon supplies the flavour.

The heavyweight of the family

Six spirits make this the strongest iced tea on the list. Sip it slowly, drink water alongside, and don’t line them up. More in the Drinks guide.

Ingredients

Makes
1
  • 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
  • 15 ml (0.5 oz) bourbon The Texas addition — it brings vanilla-oak warmth the standard Long Island doesn't have.
  • 15 ml (0.5 oz) triple sec (Cointreau or good orange liqueur)
  • 25 ml (0.75 oz) fresh lemon juice
  • 15 ml (0.5 oz) simple syrup (1:1), to taste
  • Top, about 30 ml (1 oz) cola
  • lemon wedge, to garnish
  • ice

Method

Tap a step’s number to check it off as you go.

  1. Fill a tall glass with ice and add the vodka, rum, gin, tequila, bourbon, triple sec, fresh lemon juice and simple syrup.

    Why: Adding bourbon to the five-spirit base is the only change from a Long Island — it deepens the drink with oak and vanilla.

  2. Stir briefly to chill, then top with just enough cola to colour it like dark tea.

    Why: As with the Long Island, cola is for colour and a hint of sweetness — the bourbon already carries plenty of flavour.

  3. Garnish with a lemon wedge and serve with a straw.

    Why: A squeeze of lemon keeps a now even-bigger drink from turning heavy.

A quick, anonymous tap — no review needed.

Variations

  • Classic Long Island

    Leave out the bourbon for the standard five-spirit version.

  • Rye Texas Tea

    Use rye whiskey instead of bourbon for a spicier, drier edge.

  • Less boozy

    Drop every spirit to 10 ml and lengthen with more lemon and cola.

Serving & Storage

Serve ice-cold with a straw. This is the strongest of the iced-tea family — one is plenty.

Pairs with: BBQ brisket, Chili, Smoked sausage, Cornbread.

Storage: Make to order. Pre-batch the six spirits in equal parts and refrigerate; add fresh lemon, syrup and cola per glass.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 cocktail (~250 ml))

Calories
245
Protein
0 g
Carbs
18 g
Fat
0 g
Fiber
0 g
Sugar
16 g
Sodium
10 mg

Estimated using standard ingredient data. Values vary with brands and substitutions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes it a Texas Tea?

It's a Long Island Iced Tea with bourbon added to the spirit base. The whiskey brings oak-and-vanilla warmth and makes an already strong drink stronger.

Bourbon or another whiskey?

Bourbon is traditional for its sweet, rounded profile. Rye works if you want it spicier and drier; either way use a decent mid-shelf bottle.

Is it much stronger than a Long Island?

Yes — it has a sixth spirit. Treat it accordingly: sip slowly and count one as a full round or more.

From our kitchen community

Ratings & Reviews

My Rating

Tap a star to rate — no sign-in, no form needed.

Be the first to rate Texas Tea (The Long Island, Bigger).

Further reading