The Long Island Iced Tea is said to have been invented in the 1970s on Long Island, New York, though its true origin is a bit of a cocktail party mystery with multiple claimants. The most commonly told story credits Robert “Rosebud” Butt, a college student who entered a cocktail contest in 1972 and reportedly mixed equal parts of several spirits with a splash of cola to mimic the colour of iced tea. Other stories point to an earlier Prohibition era concoction called the “Long Island Tea” originating in Tennessee or a 1920s recipe from a man named ‘Old Man Bishop’. Whatever the precise lineage, the drink’s name, theatrical potency and resemblance to iced tea helped it secure a memorable place in American drinking lore.

The classic Long Island Iced Tea is a boozy blend typically made from vodka, gin, white rum, tequila, and triple sec, combined with fresh lemon juice or sour mix and topped with a splash of cola for colour and sweetness. Some recipes add simple syrup or use varying proportions to tame the strength. The cocktail was popularised in the 1970s and 1980s as cocktail culture embraced louder, sweeter, high ABV mixed drinks, its reputation for packing a punch made it a staple of bars, beach parties and late night menus. It has remained a notorious favourite for drinkers who want evidence of serious spirit investment disguised as a refreshingly familiar glass.

Personally I came to know the Long Island Iced Tea from the one and only Marge Simpson enjoying it in the early seasons of the beloved tv show.