Riddled with controversy, not just on the amount of alcohol that goes into it; the Long Island Iced Tea has had multiple “creators” in it’s fuzzy past. But first, let’s dial back our time machines back to the Roaring 20’s.
In a time where prohibition was in full swing and drinks needed to pack a punch. A man by the name of Old Man Bishop concocted vodka, whiskey, rum, gin, tequila and maple syrup into what would be known as, “The Old Man Bishop.” Now, the expectation would be the drink came from Long Island, New York, but this is not the case. The tale states it was a small community named Long Island in Kingsport, Tennessee.
We slip forward through the time stream to the 60’s, and the Iced Tea recipe appears in Betty Crocker's New Picture Cook Book in 1961. The earliest mention of the Long Island in a book.
However, another fellow by the moniker of Robert “Rosebud” Butt takes the cake when he says he created the strong mixture in a cocktail creating contest. He goes to even say Old Man Bishop and Betty Crocker’s book don’t have any validity.
Regardless of who is right or wrong, we have a robust drink that will surely live on. Cheers!
To help serve this amazing drink check our certification by state page!
½ fluid ounce vodka
½ fluid ounce rum
½ fluid ounce gin
½ fluid ounce tequila
½ fluid ounce triple sec (orange-flavored liqueur)
1 fluid ounce sweet and sour mix
1 fluid ounce cola, or to taste
1 lemon or lime slice
