Strong and blue, this is one cocktail that almost drinks like two.
There are so many riffs and variations on that legendary booze-bomb called the Long Island Iced Tea. I imagine there’s a bunch of them out there that many of us hadn’t heard of yet. And some of the ones we do know of are so brilliantly simple that nobody can claim to know who invented what particular offshoot and when. Even versions that have specific locations in their name, like the Long Beach, Tokyo or Texas Iced Teas don’t even necessarily hail from these spots.
Whenever I enjoy a “stronger-than-usual” drink like the Blue Long Island, I often wonder who had the idea. Who was that person that said “you know what’d be great?” and then proceeded to experiment, or even stumble upon, your next favorite cocktail? Something that seems so simple as adding or substituting just one or two ingredients in anything can often make or break any recipe. “That cheeseburger was pretty good, but replacing the cheddar with whipped cream was kind of weird.” There’s an art to mixology. I always imagined a wizened wizard, hunched over his reagents and boiling, misty cauldrons as the ones creating these potions we enjoy. But the magic sometimes is in the mystery surrounding a cocktail. Like the Blue Long Island. Who woke up one day and decided the Long Island Iced Tea needed to be blue?
The world may never know. But at least you can drink it.
What is the Best Alcohol to Use in a Blue Long Island?
When mixing any variation of a Long Island Iced Tea, I recommend using all clear base spirits. Gin and vodka are see-thru to begin with, but you might be confused by the varieties of rum and tequila available, so definitely stick with white or silver versions of those. When you mix in the blue curacao, your cocktail will take on an almost crystal, sapphire complexion.
Ingredients
- 1/2 ounce vodka
- 1/2 ounce tequila
- 1/2 ounce white rum
- 1/2 ounce gin
- 1/2 ounce blue curacao
- 1 ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 3 to 5 ounces ginger ale
- Ice
- Lemon wedge for garnish
Instructions
- In a highball glass, combine vodka, tequila, white rum, gin, and blue curacao then add fresh squeezed lemon juice.
- Fill the glass with ice and top off with ginger ale.
- Stir the ingredients together until well mixed.
- Garnish with a lemon wedge on the rim of the glass. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
FAQs & Tips
With more alcohol thrown into these drinks than most, a tall highball glass will capture these spirits and keep them chilled on ice for the duration of your sipping. Garnish with a plump lemon wedge for the look and the juice.
You can mix all the ingredients together, except the ginger ale, and store covered in your fridge for a day or two. Only add the soda topper when you’re serving to keep the carbonation fresh and fizzy.
202 calories might not seem like a lot, but having a few of these can make you feel heavy, in more than a few ways. Be mindful when drinking any filling and inebriating beverage.
No, one of the differences here is the use of blue curacao in place of the triple sec, which gives it its colorful namesake.
Another difference between the Blue Long Island and its original counterpart is the use of ginger ale instead of cola, giving the drink a brighter look and taste.
Blue Long Island Variations
Once you’ve had the Blue Long Island, you might want to try as many versions as you can of this potent potion that are floating around out in the world. Or may be at your local bar, or even at home. With Twist & Toasts variety of recipes at your fingertips, you don’t have to go far to find what your need.
- Long Beach Iced Tea – The West Coast’s version of the East Coast creation, which uses cranberry juice to liven things up.
- Texas Tea – The Lone Star State has its own bourbon-infused Iced Tea cocktail in this kickin’ version of the classic.
- Tokyo Tea – Bright green and pretty mean, the Tokyo Tea packs a neon-flavored punch with the addition of Midori.
- Long Island Iced Tea – I write about the original cocktail and discover that it’s more than what everyone assumes it is.
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