It is becoming a popular dining-out trend to pair cocktails with your meal, rather than the traditio...
The History of the Long Island Ice Tea
Jump to
Not every bartender is comfortable with serving up this classic cocktail. A potent blend of spirits topped with cola, it is not afforded the same respect as many of the other classics. Perhaps this is because of its extremely high alcohol content making it a favourite amongst the student community attempting to get as drunk as possible on a strict budget.
Who’s To Blame for the Long Island Ice Tea?
Like all the best mixed drinks, however, the Long Island Iced Tea comes with its fair share of stories about where it was first created. One story attributes the cocktail to Robert Butts, a bartender at the Beach Inn, a bar situated in Long Island New York. It is thought that he made up the drink in the summer of 1972 as a competition entry. He had to create a drink that included triple sec. While he acknowledges that similar drink combinations may exist, he is insistent that he invented the cocktail. The ‘Iced Tea’ part of the name came from the tea-like colour and sweet taste of the triple sec included in the ingredients.The story above is believable enough, however, another story does have a little more credibility to it. A gentleman named only as Old Man Bishop is said to have invented the Long Island Iced Tea in the 1920’s during prohibition, although then the drink was named after himself. Cocktails were extremely popular at this time, as the mixers were used to cover up the smell of alcohol in bars. This one was popular because drinkers could claim to be drinking tea, so long as the prohibition police didn’t get too close!
Old Man Bishop lived in another location called Long Island, but this place was in Tennessee. It was his son, Ransom, that perfected the recipe – some 20 years later, once his father had died. It is his version that has become the cocktail that we begrudgingly love today.
The second story is backed up by the appearance of a very similar drink included in the Betty Crocker’s New Picture Cookbook in 1961 and then again in the American Home All-Purpose Cookbook in 1966. If the drink had been made for the first time in 1972, it would not have been a part of these recipe books.
Variations on the Long Island Ice Tea
Fancy your Long Island Iced Tea with a twist? Try the Long Island Raspberry Iced Tea, which switches out whisky for sour mix and raspberry liqueur – ideal if you prefer your alcohol fruity and sweet.
Pardon the interruption
Did you know that you can become a member for free, taking your cocktail making skills up to level 11. You can save your My Bar ingredients, make tasting notes, have personalised Tried and Want to try lists and more.
Filed with tags
More to explore
When it comes to cocktails, few are as iconic—or as simple—as the Screwdriver. With just two ingredi...
This classic cocktail was not created by some superstar mixologist in a high-class bar, nor was it a...
Tag cloud
Explore more with our randomised tag cloud.
-
Sophistication
-
Italian
-
Shaking Technique
-
Global Variations
-
Ethical Sourcing
-
Trends
-
New York
-
Modern Interpretations
-
Chartreuse
-
Irish Coffee
-
Cola
-
Gardening
-
Culinary Culture
-
Olives
-
Festive Season
-
Bartender Legends
-
Recipe Guide
-
Creative Cocktails
-
Orange Juice
-
Sazerac
Bartender's top tip
Related posts
History of the Hot Toddy
Ask the average person if they’ve ever heard of a Hot Toddy, and they’re likely to say they have. Ask them what a Hot Toddy is, and you may get a variety of answers. The cocktail doesn’t have a standa... read more
The History of the Mary Pickford Cocktail
A very fancy cocktail with an extremely glamorous namesake, the Mary Pickford cocktail was created during the era of Prohibition and is saved for only the classiest of establishments. Mary Pickford wa... read more
Cocktails Created from the History Books
To get your name in the history books, you must have done something wondrous or terrible. To be remembered, you need to be considered a hero or a villain. But you only know that you have really made i... read more
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Get tips straight into your inbox.
Upgrade your mixology
Become a member for free taking your cocktail making skills up to level 11. Or become a premium member to rise to cocktail greatness.
- Save your bar forever
- Access to our Cocktail Creator, allowing you to create your own wonderful concoctions.
- Create personalised cocktail menus for all your events, bars or parties
- Save cocktails to personalised 'Tried' and 'Want to try' lists
- Create and record tasting notes on cocktails
- Create lists of cocktails to share with friends and family
- A personalised MyBar URL, allowing you to share everything you can make with friends
- And much more ... (what to buy next, measurement choices, search personalisation...)
The Ultimate Christmas Cocktail Hub
The ultimate destination for all things Christmas and Cocktails. Crate your own Christmas cocktail, cocktail advent calendars, a host of Christmas themed cocktails and more.
Filter by Christmas cocktails that contain a certain ingredient, or just browse them all. The go-to location this Christmas.
Let's go