Episode 74 Long Island Iced Tea

Jun 11

Ep. 74: Spilling the tea – Long Island Iced Tea

Welcome to Season 5 episode 74 of The Art of Drinking with Join Jules and Your Favorite Uncle

If there was ever a drink with a reputation, this is definitely it. Uncle Brad and Jules get into making a proper Long Island and Jules puts a twist on it with Jamacian Rum, Mint, and Bourbon... I mean, why not?

Uncle B gives us the history behind the drink, and there’s a little drama to share. Then Brad takes on a great question from Nathan Batley (all the way from Winchester, UK). He’s been reading up on the old cocktail books like The Savoy Cocktail Book and Cafe Royal Cocktail book and asks, “could you outline the different measurements used like glass, wine glass, liqueur glass, etc (also talk about the ratios and what that means)?”

We got you covered Nathan... mostly.

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What do we need for today’s episode?

For Brad’s Long Island Iced Tea

Vodka
London dry gin
Tequila Blanco
White Rum
Cointreau
Simple syrup
Lemon juice (fresh squeeze)
Angostura bitters
Coca Cola
Strainers; Hawthorne & Fine Mesh
Jigger
Bar Spoon
Collins Glass

For Jules’ LIIT baby brother, Boozy Palmer

Collins Glass
Jigger
Cocktail shaker
Strainer; hawthorn
Bourbon
Jamaican Rum
Mint syrup
Lemons, lemon juice
Orange curacao
Black tea
Cola, like Poppi

Get Brad's Long Island Iced Tea

Get Jules' Boozy Palmer

Long Island Iced Tea, a lil backstory

Origins

1970s Creation: The Long Island Iced Tea is believed to have been created in the 1970s. The most widely accepted origin story credits Robert "Rosebud" Butt with inventing the drink in 1972 while working at the Oak Beach Inn on Long Island, New York. Butt claimed he created the cocktail as part of a contest to make a new mixed drink using Triple Sec.
Alternative Theories: Another story suggests that the drink was invented by a man named "Old Man Bishop" in the 1920s during Prohibition in a community called Long Island in Kingsport, Tennessee. According to this version, Bishop's son, Ransom, perfected the drink in the 1940s.

Popularity

The cocktail gained popularity quickly due to its high alcohol content, which is masked by its sweet and refreshing taste. Its rise to fame in bars and restaurants across the United States during the late 20th century is also attributed to its novelty and the fact that it can be made with readily available ingredients.

Variations

Over the years, many variations of the Long Island Iced Tea have been developed, including:

Long Beach Iced Tea: Cranberry juice replaces the cola.
Texas Tea: Includes bourbon.
Adios Motherfucker (AMF): Blue Curaçao replaces the Triple Sec, and lemon-lime soda is used instead of cola.

Get Featured Question: How to interpret measurements in old cocktail books