How to make a great Long Island
Iced Tea
by Hayley Hurd
You don’t need to head to Long Island, New York for the best of this
great cocktail. Known for its potency and scrumptious taste, the Long
Island Iced Tea can easily be made at home.
There are many variations
of the Long Island, each with a uniquely different flavor. Many at-home
bartenders shy away from this cocktail after accidentally creating a concoction
similar to lighter fluid. But if mixed exact, the Long Island can be mastered
effortlessly.
Ingredients
- Metal shaker
- Highball glass
- Ice
- 1/2 oz. Vodka
- 1/2 oz. Gin
- 1/2 oz. White rum
- 1/2 oz. Triple Sec
- 1/2 oz. Tequila (can be
omitted)
- Splash of Coca-Cola
- 1/4 oz. Sweet and sour
- Lemon wedge
Step 1 - selecting the liquor
The first step is selecting the
liquor you will use in your Long Island. Due to the large amount of alcohol
in this drink, the ingredients can become quite spendy if you’re starting
from scratch. Many people swear only by high-quality brands. While the taste
may be a little smoother if you’re willing to break the bank, a reasonable
brand like Phillips will still do the trick quite nicely.
Step 2 - mixing the drink
Next
you will need to fill a highball glass with ice and set it aside. This
will chill the glass until you are finished mixing the Long Island. The
metal shaker also needs to be filled with ice. This is an important tool
that ensures the proper mixing of the cocktail.
You can add each liquor separately or at the same time, depending on your
bartending skills. Many Long Island recipes contain tequila, which you
can include to suit your liking. The measurement of the alcohol is the
most crucial step in concocting a Long Island Iced Tea. Many people (even
professional bartenders) often burn these drinks. If each measurement
is not exact, the drink will be ruined. Don’t be afraid to measure
out each liquor until you feel comfortable eyeballing it. There’s
nothing worse than a Long Island gone bad.
Step 3 - shake, shake, shake!
After all of the liquor has
been added, it’s time to shake, shake, shake! This is another important
step. The more you shake, the better your Long Island will taste. So go
ahead, make a fool of yourself. Shake until you’re out of breath.
Shake until you can shake no more. It will definitely be worth it.
Step 4 - finishing touches
When you decide that your drink
is sufficiently shaken, or you’re getting lightheaded (whichever
comes first), you can strain the mixed liquor over the chilled highball.
A splash of Coca-Cola should be added, as will as a half-shot of sweet
and sour. Some people like sugar in their Long Islands while some prefer
as is. A lemon twist is the final step to topping off this mouth-watering
treat.
Step 5 - enjoy!
It’s finally arrived…the moment of truth. Have you really made
a great Long Island Iced Tea? Did your painstaking measuring and wild
shaking pay off? Or have you mixed in vain yet again? There’s only
one way to tell. Drink up!
Even if your Long Island didn’t
turn out as great as you had hoped, there’s no harm in trying again.
After all, practice makes perfect. If you don’t give up, you could
soon be mastering moves only seen in the movie "Cocktail".
Words to the wise
Drinks as tasty and powerful as the Long Island Iced Tea are few and far
between. There’s nothing better than cooling off with one on a hot
summer day or enjoying a few later in the night.
But beware of the powers of
the mighty Long Island. Because they taste so delightful, it is easy to
forget that the drink is 90% liquor. It won't take long to realize the
potency when just two drinks hit you like a freight train. Even worse,
the wrath of the Long Island the next morning is like no other. So be
careful, be cautious and enjoy in only moderation.
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A great Long
Island
A selection
of Phillips liquor
Mixing the Long
Island
Shake, shake
shake...
Topping it off
with Coca-Cola and sweet and sour
A satisfied
Long Island lover
Drink Links
Webtender
an online bartendering guide
T.G.I.
Friday's Mixology
a plethora of drinking fun
Mixed-Drink.com
beverage help for your next party
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