8 Best Long Island Cocktail Recipes at Home

The history of this cocktail began 20 years before World War II. For a long time, the name of the drink was considered synonymous with a headache, and the production of its components was prohibited at the legislative level.

Despite its American origin, the Long Island cocktail has a piece of the Russian soul – vodka, which is used in almost any version of the Long Island.

What is this cocktail

You won’t find this on Wikipedia, but not so long ago, the legendary cocktail turned 100 years old. Or rather, it should have been fulfilled, because no one knows the exact date of creation.

Unfortunately, there are no photographs or documents that testify to Bishop’s primacy in the creation of Long Island.

Interesting: Long Island Eisty is the full name of the cocktail. During Prohibition in the US, it was disguised as tea and served cold.

Again, Long Island was talked about already in the 1960s, when the United States was experiencing the euphoria of a free life to the sounds of rock with might and main. It is worth recalling that at the same time, on the other side of the planet, less peaceful actions were taking place – the war in Vietnam.

Sorry, I digressed from the main topic – the history of Long Island. In 1961, the cocktail was mentioned in a cookbook by Betty Crocker (a fictional character). But the cocktail gained worldwide fame in 1972, when Robert Buttom cooked Long Island at a bartending competition.

The audience liked the recipe so much that by the 80s the cocktail gained popularity all over the world.

Although Buttom considers himself the discoverer of Long Island, I think you should know the full story of the origin of this popular drink.

What bowl is it served in?

There are only two options for dishes for serving Long Island:

• Collins glass;
• хайбол.

Both options are equivalent, and the mentioned glasses are used mainly for long drinks and cold drinks. True, Collins is a little taller and narrower, but for the layman this difference does not matter.

If we talk about home serving, then here you need to build on:

• respect for traditions;
• for whom you are cooking.

If the cocktail will be made for yourself, and there were no “correct” glasses in the set of dishes, then you should not run to the store – any glass of similar size will do, if only its volume is enough for all the ingredients. On the other hand, if you decide to surprise guests who are savvy in matters of serving cocktails, you can “get confused”.

Product composition and proportions

I have already said about the components for the old Long Island, it’s time to disassemble the modern version. For one serving, we need 1 part (15 ml) of vodka, tequila, light rum, gin, Triple Sec (liquor). 30 ml of sugar syrup and cola, as well as 25 ml of lemon juice.

Fortress

The attentive reader will notice that at the beginning of the text I called the Long Island cocktail synonymous with headaches. This was done for a reason, the strength of the drink can reach insane 28%. Considering the rather large portion, you are unlikely to be able to drink more than 2 glasses.

Note that these numbers are true for the classic composition and may differ in different variants of Long Island. Both up and down.

Cocktail variations

Since I started talking about different interpretations of the Long Island cocktail, let’s dwell on this in more detail. Let’s look at a few of the most popular.

The first is the Texas Tea cocktail, where, in addition to the original ingredients, bourbon is added and the glass is crowned with a circle of lemon. The main change is the proportions, they are equal for each component and amount to 20 ml.

Preparation:

Pour all the indicated alcohol into the shaker and shake. We pour the contents into a highball with ice, add some cola and decorate the glass with a slice of lemon. Ready.

The second official option is the Electric Tee or Blue, sorry, Mother F@cker. Couldn’t resist mentioning an alternative name. Triple Sec liqueur is replaced with Blue Curacao, and Sprite is topped up instead of cola. In proportion, everything is similar to Texas tea.

It is impossible not to recall the Grateful Dead: a cocktail with raspberry liqueur, but without syrup and cola. Fans of berry flavors will surely like Long Beach Iced Tea, in which the syrup is replaced by cranberry juice.

The last cocktail on this list is the Japanese adaptation of Long Island. Thanks to the Midori liqueur, Tokyo Iced Tea has a mesmerizing color of malachite and a bright aroma of melon.

Energy value per 100 g of product

Due to its high alcohol and sugar content, the Long Island Cocktail is not a diet drink. 100 g contains about 140 calories, a quarter of which are carbohydrates.

Required ingredients for 1 serving

All the ingredients for a Long Island cocktail are fairly easy to get in any supermarket, although finding Triple Sec liqueur can be somewhat difficult, which can be solved by ordering from an online store.

What is included:

• 1 part vodka;
• 1 part tequila;
• 1 part light rum;
• 1 part gin;
• 1 part Triple Sec liqueur;
• 2 parts syrup;
• 20 ml of lemon fresh;
• 2 parts cola.

Homemade Long Island Recipe

Let’s talk a little about how to make a Long Island cocktail at home.

The first advice – do not prepare the original cocktail. Yes, I’ll write the recipe, but please don’t cook.

In any case, do not do this until you try a real, made by professionals, option. It’s like meeting a girl, it’s important not to spoil the first impression.

Классический

Perhaps the main difference between the home version and the bar one is the lack of specialized equipment. You will have to mix the ingredients with an ordinary spoon, and a highball or Collins will replace any glass that is suitable in volume.

Despite the fact that I have already described the ingredients, in the home version there are slight differences in proportions, and any orange liqueur is used instead of Triple Sec.

We need:

• rum / tequila / gin / vodka / orange liqueur / lemon juice – 10 ml each;
• cola (preferably Coca-Cola) – 50 ml;
• ice – 2-4 cubes;
• cherry for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

All liquid (alcohol, cola, syrup) is sent to a glass and mixed with a spoon. It is important not to rush, mix carefully. Add a few ice cubes and the cocktail is ready. It is worth noting that in this interpretation of the drink there will be fewer calories.

Non-alcoholic

The composition is maximally adapted to home cooking and will suit even a real lady who does not accept alcohol (if any exist):

• 1 part lemonade;
• 1 part cold black tea;
• 1 part cola;
• Ice (2-4 pieces).

Preparation:

Pour all ingredients into a glass and stir with a spoon. Pour ice to the top and decorate the glass with a circle of lemon or orange. You can decorate with cherries, but with anything that is in the kitchen.

By the way, this is quite a good “budget” drink, which has a low price and a pleasant taste.

With raspberries and cherries

Berry lovers will definitely appreciate this option. Let’s take:

• rum / tequila / gin / vodka / liquor – 10 ml each;
• raspberries and cherries (do not forget to pull out the bone) – 10 gr each;
• dry white wine – 100 ml;
• ice – 2-4 cubes;

Preparation:

Pour all the alcohol, except for the wine, into the glass and stir. We crush the berries and add to alcohol. Pour all 100 ml of wine and throw in a few ice cubes.

With cranberry juice

If desired, you can make a Long Island cocktail with cranberry juice.

We take:

• rum / tequila / gin / vodka / orange liqueur / lemon juice – 10 ml each;
• cranberry juice (it is advisable to use juice, not nectar) – 50 ml;
• ice cubes (2-4 pieces);
• lemon (for garnish)

Preparation:

Let’s change the usual sequence a little and first add ice to the glass. Pour alcohol, fresh lemon and cranberry juice there. Stir the contents of the glass and decorate as desired. The drink of the gods is ready.

Bar version

If you are confident in your abilities, you can try making a bar version of the Long Island cocktail.

We take:

• vodka / light rum / tequila / gin / Cointreau liqueur – 15 ml of each ingredient;
• freshly squeezed lemon juice – 25 ml;
• sugar syrup – 25 ml;
• cold tea (green) – 30 ml;
• several ice cubes.

Preparation:

We take a shaker … wait, we don’t have this. Take a glass and put it in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. Take it out and put ice cubes in it. Pour all the alcohol into the container and mix with a spoon. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix again. We drink the drink while it is cold.

Recipe in Russian

For the recipe we need:

• silver tequila / dry gin / vodka / white rum / Triple Sec liqueur – 15 ml each;
• sparkling wine “Prosecco” – 100 ml;
• pitted cherries – 10 g;
• raspberries – 10 g;
• ice cubes;

Preparation:

Pour all the alcohol into a chilled glass and stir. We also cool the berries, crush and send them to a glass. Add ice cubes and pour over all Prosecco. Stir gently (so as not to break the ice) and serve.

With whiskey

With the independent preparation of the Long Island cocktail, almost any liberties are allowed. Instead of vodka, Long Island can be made with whiskey. So we get a deeper and richer taste.

Among the most popular types is Scotch whisky. It will add the aroma of smoke, nutmeg and dried fruits to the cocktail.

electric ice tea

Electric Iced Tea is another Long Island variant and the Blue Mazafak I mentioned above. In composition:

• vodka / white rum / tequila / gin / Blue Curacao – 20 ml each;
• sugar syrup – 20 ml;
• lemon fresh – 20 ml;
• sprite – to taste;
• ice;
• lemon wedges or cherries for garnish

Preparation:

Pour ice into a glass and pour out all the alcohol. Stir and add lemon juice and syrup. Stir again and fill to the top with soda. Our ice tea is ready, it remains only to decorate the glass.

How to serve and drink

As I said, Long Island’s alcohol content can be as high as 28%, making it one of the strongest bar drinks. Drinking this in one gulp is very difficult, so you need to use Long Island slowly. In fact, this is a long drink that needs to be absorbed gradually, best through a straw.

The cocktail is served immediately after preparation, so that the ice in the glass does not have time to melt. It is customary to drink a Long Island cocktail without snacks, but if desired, a high fortress can be smoothed out with cheese, fruits and berries. In some cases, they eat a steak.

Conclusion

So ended a short review of one of the oldest cocktails of our time. Personally, I do not have a firm belief that Long Island will “go” to everyone and everyone.

There are too many controversial points in its preparation that make this drink very specific. The main ones are high strength and a very diverse composition.

However, I’m sure everyone should try Long Island at least once. At least for the sake of expanding your horizons and familiarizing yourself with the 100-year history of the drink. But most importantly, now you know how to cook it yourself. Then what are you waiting for?