The Long Island Iced Tea is the most infamous bar-chain drink in America: four or five clear spirits, a little sour and a splash of cola, served in a tall glass that looks like iced tea. TGI Fridays, the original American bar-and-grill chain, has kept it on the menu for decades and offers an “Ultimate” upgrade with better-known spirit brands.
What Fridays Serves
Fridays’ drink menu describes the Ultimate Long Island Iced Tea as Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Bacardi rum, Bombay gin and Grand Marnier, mixed and topped with Coke. A 2021 Fridays menu listed it at $8.99, though prices have gone up since and vary by location. The regular Long Island uses Smirnoff, Cruzan, New Amsterdam gin and triple sec.
What’s notable is that neither version lists tequila. The classic bar recipe uses five spirits including tequila. Fridays’ version is four, with Grand Marnier as the orange liqueur in the Ultimate. If you want the tequila, the FAQ explains how to add it back.
Fridays doesn’t publish exact pours, so the spec below uses the standard bar ratio of ½ oz per spirit.
Why Most Long Islands Are Bad
The Long Island’s bad reputation comes from how bars make it: free-poured spirits, a big splash of bottled sour mix and too much cola. The result is harsh, sticky and flat.
A good one comes down to balance:
- Equal, measured spirits. Four ½-oz pours, no more.
- Fresh lemon plus simple syrup instead of sour mix. Lemon is what makes it taste like iced tea with lemon instead of rum and Coke.
- Only 2 oz of cola. Enough for color and a little caramel flavor. More hides the citrus.
The Technique: Shake, Then Top
Shake the spirits, lemon and syrup briefly with ice, 8–10 seconds. That chills and blends five different ingredients into one drink. Strain over fresh ice in a highball, then pour in the cola slowly so it keeps its fizz. One lift with a straw mixes it.
Some bartenders build the whole drink in the glass and stir. That’s faster, but shaking gives a rounder drink because the citrus and spirits blend more evenly.
The Strength Question
A Long Island tastes soft and drinks fast. This version has 2 oz of spirits, about 1.3 US standard drinks, and lands around 13% ABV, which is closer to a glass of wine than a highball. Restaurant versions can be stronger. Treat it as a strong cocktail, not iced tea.
Batching
For six drinks, stir together 3 oz (90 ml) each of vodka, rum, gin and Grand Marnier, 4½ oz (135 ml) fresh lemon juice, 3 oz (90 ml) simple syrup and 3 oz (90 ml) water for dilution. Chill. Pour over ice and top each glass with cola. Never add cola to the pitcher.
The Mocktail Version
The joke about the Long Island Iced Tea is that there’s no tea in it. The mocktail fixes that. Strong black tea replaces the four spirits and adds tannic grip, while an optional ounce of NA gin alternative brings the botanical bite of the original. Fresh lemon, simple syrup and a short cola top keep the same profile, and a twist of orange peel replaces the Grand Marnier.
Serving
Serve with wings, sliders or loaded potato skins, the bar food it’s always been paired with. Have water on the table.
Quick Fixes
- Harsh or hot? Your pours are probably generous. Measure each spirit at ½ oz, and shake for the full 8–10 seconds to dilute.
- Too sweet? Cut the simple syrup to ¼ oz, or use a cola with less sugar.
- Doesn’t look like iced tea? Add the cola a little at a time until you get a pale amber color. You want amber, not dark brown.
Enjoy responsibly — must be 21+.
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