The Long Island Iced Tea, a retro classic.

The long Island Iced Tea is a drink of legend. Ask any college student, and they will know about the Long Island Iced Tea. It was the drink of choice if you wanted to have a strong drink in my college days. Its popularity in the late ’70s and ’80s took the bar scene by storm. Even now, you may not find it on the menu, but any bartender will know how to make one. The idea of mixing all the primary alcohols (except for whiskey) into one cocktail sounds awful.

Nonetheless, The Long Island Iced Tea is surprisingly smooth, and yes, it tastes like a big glass of iced tea! I consumed a few too many of these potent concoctions with my friends at Montana State in Bozeman. There was a guy’s nite on Tuesdays at our favorite haunt, and everything was ½ off. But, of course, that was dangerous for studying.

As with many famous cocktails, the beginnings of this powerful drink are disputed. First, a bartender at the Oak Beach Inn on Long Island, New York (now sadly gone), claims to have invented the cocktail as an entry for a mixed drink contest. Robert “Rosebud” Butt says he submitted the cocktail in 1972 for this contest that had to include triple sec. And from there, its popularity expanded. Mr. Butt’s recipe is pretty close to what a modern Long Island Iced Tea is considered today, with equal portions of all the liquors and some sour mix. The second story comes from the prohibition era of the 1920s by an “Old Man Bishop.” Along with his son, he perfected their version in a community known as Long Island, located in Kingsport, Tennessee. Their version also included whiskey and maple syrup, along with the other main liquors.

There is a recipe for The Long Island Iced Tea published in Betty Crocker’s New Picture Cookbook in 1961and again in American Home All-Purpose Cookbook in 1966. This may show that this older version is the actual origin story. There was even a big conference in Washington DC in the 1990s to agree on which version is the original. The conference sided with the Tennessee version, of course, then the losing side declared it wasn’t certified correctly with not all the information. So the argument continues today (Kind of sound familiar? Oh, human nature!) All that being said, The Long Island Iced Tea really didn’t take off until the mid-1970s. That was after Mr. Butt (I just love saying that, it makes me giggle!) had supposedly submitted his cocktail.

To make a proper Long Island Iced tea, you, of course, need to have all the necessary spirits. I have found smooth, clean-tasting ones are the best for this extremely powerful cocktail. I used my favorite vodka and gin from Spring44, an excellent white rum, and tequila. There is a secret to taking the Long Island Iced Tea to another level. Don’t use sour mix. Use a rich demerara syrup and fresh lemon juice. It truly makes a difference. I have included how to make your own syrup in the recipe. It is easy and keeps for 6 months in the fridge. If you can’t find Demerara sugar you can find it here on amazon or use Turbinado (sugar in the raw.) And for that splash of coke, don’t use diet. It will give a bitter after-taste you don’t want. Really, what’s the point of diet soda in this anyway? Classic Coke with sugar is what you want to use and even better if you can find the Mexican version. The Mexican Coke has real sugar and not corn syrup and there is a taste difference.

This retro cocktail brings back many fond memories of my college days. I had some great times in a simpler world back then. I hope we get back to those times someday where fun and frivolity and love for everyone prevail no matter who they are. We have always had differences, but we all could get along. So please think of others in your choices, and we can all get through this. Well, that’s all for this week, until next time!