Food and Recipes Drinks Cocktails Long Island Iced Tea 5.0 (1) 1 Review This Tennessee-inspired iced tea cocktail is a little bit different than the classic drink. By Liz Mervosh Published on February 26, 2023 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Active Time: 5 mins Total Time: 5 mins Servings: 2 This is not a classic Long Island Iced Tea recipe, and there's very good reason for that: This is the Tennessee version of the world-famous cocktail. The Tennessee version, you ask? What do Tennessee and Long Island have in common? A lot, it turns out. Some people in Tennessee claim this liquor-heavy, cola-sweetened cocktail actually comes from Long Island, a community in Kingsport, Tennessee, not New York's peninsula by the same name. Thus, this version of the drink has a few Southern twists—whiskey, for one, where most Long Island Iced Teas have only clear liquors. Plus, in addition to cola, it has sorghum syrup. a rich-as-honey syrup that adds loads of sweetness and a hint of tartness, similar to molasses. Cane syrup works well if you can't find sorghum. We've also made this recipe a bit more upscale than the back-bar slurries you probably drank in college. It uses fresh citrus juices rather than sour mix for a cleaner sour flavor, and instead of pouring everything into a glass and stirring, we start this cocktail off by shaking the liquors. That's not isn’t traditional at all, but it helps to blend and dilute the mixture right off the bat so the whole cocktail comes together more seamlessly. Learn more about the history of the Long Island Iced Tea and if Tennessee really has any claim to this drink's fame. Ingredients 3 Tbsp. (1 1/2 oz.) light rum 3 Tbsp. (1 1/2 oz.) vodka 3 Tbsp. (1 1/2 oz.) blanco tequila 3 Tbsp. (1 1/2 oz.) Tennessee whiskey 3 Tbsp. (1 1/2 oz.) gin 2 Tbsp. (1 oz.) sorghum syrup or cane syrup 1 1/2 Tbsp. (3/4 oz.) fresh lime juice (from 1 lime) 1 1/2 Tbsp. (3/4 oz.) fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon) 1 cup cola soft drink 2 (3- x 1-in.) lemon peel strips (from 1 lemon) Directions Gather ingredients: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Shake liquors: Add rum, vodka, tequila, whiskey, gin, sorghum or cane syrup, lime juice, and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker, and add ice to fill. Cover and shake vigorously until chilled and frost forms on shaker, about 15 seconds. Strain evenly into 2 (16-ounce) Collins glasses filled halfway with ice. Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Top with cola, and serve: Divide cola evenly between glasses (1/2 cup each). Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Twist 1 lemon peel strip over each cocktail, and run around rim of glass; add peel to cocktail as garnish. Serve immediately. Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Rate it Print