On paper, the Long Island Iced Tea is one hot mess of a drink. Four different¡Xand disparate¡Xspirits slugging it out in a single glass, along with triple sec, lemon juice and cola? The recipe reads more like a frat house hazing than one of the world¡¦s most popular cocktails. And yet, somehow, it works.


That¡¦s because the Long Island Iced Tea succeeds where so many of today¡¦s refined cocktails fall short: It¡¦s boozy AF¡Xnearly four ounces of alcohol against less than half that amount in mixers. Unless you¡¦re a sailor on shore leave, that¡¦s a red-flag ratio rife with morning-after consequences. It¡¦s also precisely what a person needs every now and then.


Best then not to intellectualize the Long Island Iced Tea and simply love it for what it is: an easy-gulping, one-and-done stiffy. If you¡¦re looking to tame your tea a bit, pull back the boozy parts from three-quarter ounce to half-ounce, and lean in on the cola. The good people of Long Island won¡¦t be offended.