This Long Island Iced Tea recipe is easy to make

The Long Island Iced Tea is similar to the Long Beach Iced Tea. What both these drinks have in common is they pack a hard punch with a smooth taste. Both drinks are known for their high alcohol content that are easy to drink.

The Long Island Iced tea has a tendency to sneak up on you, since it contains a lot of alcohol- three and a half ounces to be exact! The coke is a strong enough flavor to hide the flavors of the spirit, believe it or not. And the sweet and sour mix, as well as the triple sec, also help conceal the alcohol. You should definitely take a water break after every Long Island Iced Tea that you pour for yourself.

Long Island Iced Tea consist of all the main clear spirits you would expect to come across behind a bar: rum, tequila, gin and vodka. It is them mixed with triple sec, sweet & sour mix, and the coke gives the drink its brown color. This is a great drink to make for guests, especially if you already have all the ingredients!

Replacements

There’s quite a long list of specific ingredients for the Long Island Iced Tea, and not all of us have these at home. Sometimes, it’s best to just order one of these drinks out at a bar, but often it will cost you upwards of $15 because of all the expensive ingredients it consists of. Have no fear, I have a whole list of replacements, with some being more creative than others, if you are missing some of the common ingredients.

Replacements for Spirits

If you’re making this drink at home and are missing gin or another one of the spirits, feel free to double up on one of the other spirits in this recipe. It won’t make too much of a difference.

Replacements for Coke

Coke is a main ingredient in this recipe and there are not a lot of replacements for it. That being said, I still have a couple ideas:

Pepsi: Not so fond of Coke? Use Pepsi instead!
Coke Zero: Have some Coke zero that you found in your fridge? Go ahead and use it for your Long Island Iced Tea. Something to note about Coke Zero is that it’s much lighter in flavor and in taste. If you are using Coke Zero, just remember that you might want to use more of the mixer and less alcohol.
Any other dark cola: In a pinch, you can use any other dark cola you can find as a replacement for Coke.

Garnishes

Now, garnishes are not entirely necessary, but they are nice to have and add a certain touch to the drink.

Citrus: Limes or lemon wedges really lighten this drink. Serve with a wedge or wheel of citrus.
Mint Leaves: A sprig of green mint leaves add a great pop of color to your drink.

Other Drinks to Make

Long Beach Iced Tea

Spiked Cold Brew
PB&J Cocktail
Pickleback Shot
Lychee Martini
Bloody Mary
Peanut Butter Pickleback