Long Island Iced Tea

I've made so many of these in my three years of bartending, and never have I added creme de menthe, nor have I bothered to photograph the drink and use it on my blog. That must be because it is a code drink for people who want to signal that they want to get drunk as painlessly and as covertly as possible.

Yes, you can add whiskey to your coke or coffee, but you can only get so much of it in the glass before it becomes obvious that the stuff in the glass is not just Pepsi. The Long Island Iced Tea has no tea in it, but the tea color from the cola is a crafty camouflage for all the alcohol--about two drinks worth--in the same glass that iced tea should be served.

For this drink, I'm providing my recipe and the NY Bartender's guide recipe. The reason for this is because most people expect the drink to be the recipe I follow at the bar rather than the older one represented in the book. I think, sometime, I will try the NYBG recipe at home to see how it compares.

My typical Long Island Iced Tea recipe:

• 1 oz. vodka
• 1 oz. gin
• 1 oz. light rum
• 1 oz. tequila
• 3/4 oz. lemon juice
• 1/2 oz. triple sec
• 1/2 oz. simple syrup
•  lemon wedge
• splash of cola

 The New York Bartender's Guide recipe:

• 2 oz. vodka
• 1 oz. gin
• 1 oz. white tequila
• 1 oz. white rum 
• 1/2 oz. white creme de menthe
• 2 oz. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. sugar
• lime wedge 
• cola

Combine all juices, spirits, and sugar (or sugar syrup) in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a highball glass full of fresh ice. Fill (or just splash with) cola and garnish with fruit.