If you don’t know about the Long Island Iced Tea (LIIT), know this, there is no tea involved, the drink did originate in Long Island, and as the saying goes “one is not enough and two is too many”.
Our adventure (or I should say Lynn’s adventure) with this drink started on a trip to the Seattle area. We both had the drink before, but it was an SME Board of Director’s meeting in Bellevue WA (a suburb of Seattle) where the true socialization of the LIIT came to be.
As with most of the trips for SME I spent the bulk of my time in a hotel conference room while Lynn and the gang of spouses and significant others explored whatever city we were in. The exploration often involved shopping and museums, but more often than not involved the discovery of some new watering holes. This time the newest purveyor of adult beverages was Joey Restaurant Bellevue.
As is normal I get a text from Lynn during the day telling me what she is doing. This time (and many others) it was accompanied by a picture of a cocktail. “Come by when you get a chance” she says. “I am right across the street from the hotel.” So my SME colleague Wayne and I took a trip over during a break. Many LIIT’s had been consumed by that point over lunch. The gang tried to convince us to join in but we had an afternoon of death by PowerPoint ahead of us so we took a pass. Wayne and I just laughed and went back to our board meeting. We may not have joined (well at least not that time) but the Long Island Ice Tea became famous at SME gatherings from that point on. So much so that it was a topic mentioned in my presidential induction speech and Lynn’s role as unofficial social director for the spouses and significant others group.
Anyway, this is my version. It is pretty standard. I used these particular brands of alcohol because that is what was in the cabinet. You can sub in whatever brands of vodka, tequila, gin and rum you like. I did swap out the usual triple sec for Cointreau as it is a little more flavorful, IMHO.
You may also see recipes out there that call for sour mix. I recommend the fresh lemon juice. It make a huge difference, again IMHO.
Long Island Iced Tea
Course: DrinksDifficulty: Easy2
servingsThe beauty of this recipe is that it is pretty much just an ounce of everything. Makes it easier to remember when you have had one too many.
Ingredients
1 Ounce Lemon Juice
1 Ounce Tequila
1 Ounce Rum
1 Ounce Gin
1 Ounce Vodka
1 Ounce Cointreau
Splash of Coca Cola (to taste)
Ice (some for shaker, some for serving, about 3 cups)
Lemon Slices for Garnish
Process
- Cut and squeeze lemons for juice and garnish
- Fill a drink shaker with ice and all the alcohol and the lemon juice.
- Cover shaker and shake to blend.
- Fill 2 glasses with ice and strain contents of shaker into each glass
- Top with a couple of ounces of Coca Cola. Garnish with lemon slice.
- Enjoy responsibly.
LIIT tonite!
Many memories of the famous LIIT!
I love the 5 version, most never make it with the 5.
I prefer this one (drizzle 151 over the top)
Dizzy Buddha-
This is a power full drink with lots of liquors.
1/4 oz. Vodka
1/4 oz. Dark rum
1/4 oz. Coconut rum
1/4 oz. Southern Comfort
1/4 oz. Amaretto
1/4 oz. Kahlua
1/4 oz. Midori
1/4 oz. Banana Liquer
Dash of grenadine
Splash of orange and pineapple juice