Blue Long Island Iced Tea

This Blue Long Island Iced Tea is beautifully light with a tangy sweet taste! It’s easy to prepare and wonderfully refreshing.

Here’s a light blue drink, fresh and sparkling: the Blue Long Island, also known as Blue Long Island Iced Tea! Traditional Long Island iced tea has some reputation as a low-alcohol, high-alcohol beverage. But get it right, and this classic has a fresh, nuanced flavor and fewer alcohol than most cocktails. This blue version of the classic uses Blue Curacao for its ocean-colored color and adds a nice citrus flavor. It remains one of our favorite blue drinks to this day.

Blue Long Island Iced Tea ingredients

Long Island Iced Tea is a highball cocktail that mixes cola with five different liqueurs: vodka, tequila, rum, gin, and orange liqueur. The name comes from its color: the drink turns brown when stirred and looks like iced tea. As with most cocktails, its origins are unclear, but it was likely invented in 1972 by a Long Island, New York bartender. It has become very popular and is on the International Bartender Association’s list of official IBA cocktails, meaning it has an official definition.

A Blue Long Island Iced Tea, called Blue Long Island for short, replaces the orange liqueur with Blue Curacao. Blue Curaçao is a type of bright blue colored orange liqueur made on the island of Curaçao. This recipe also replaces the cola with ginger ale, which is a lighter color. For this recipe you will need:

• vodka
• tequila
• white rum
• gin
• Blue Curaçao
• lemon juice
• ginger ale

Most importantly, of course, is Blue Curaçao. If you don’t have others, that’s fine! Here’s what you should know about signature spirits and what you can substitute for the others.

Learn more about Blue Curacao

The most important part of any blue drink, including Blue Long Island? Blue Curaçao! This gives the drink its bright blue color. You have to make sure you grab a bottle: and don’t worry! It’s not hard to find. Here’s what you need to know:

• Blue Curaçao is an artificially colored orange liqueur invented by Dutch settlers on the island of Curacao. There are several colors of Curaçao: the most popular today are clear and blue. Blue Curacao has been sold since 1912. It is flavored with Laraha orange peel, a species of orange that grows on the island.
• How to pronounce Curaçao? say it Cure-ah-souw.
• What does Blue Curacao taste like? It has a sweet orange peel flavor with a subtle bitter finish.
• How much does it cost? Blue Curaçao is inexpensive; A 750ml bottle costs about $10. Try to get a mid-range bottle; We like the Drillaud brand (avoid DeKuyper).
• What else can you use it for? Lots of blue drinks! Mix up a Blue Margarita, Blue Hawaii, Aqua Velva, or Blue Lagoon.

Can you use substitutes if you don’t have all the spirits?

Blue Long Island Iced Tea is a kitchen sink style drink. He uses pretty much everything in the liquor cabinet! Luckily, you don’t have to have all the ingredients to make a delicious BLIIT. Here are some tips on substitutions:

• Vodka, tequila or gin: Leave one and double one of the other liqueurs. For example, if you don’t have gin, double the amount of tequila. If possible, try to consume at least three of the four main liquors. Two of the four can also work.
• white rum: Use old rum if you don’t have a white one. You can use dark rum: just note that the color of the drink will be darker!

to use ginger ale

Ginger Ale makes a deliciously fresh Blue Long Island iced tea. In fact, we like it better than the standard version of the drink! (Mainly because we don’t buy Coke often.) You can use any brand you like, but here are a few favorites:

• Q ginger ale: This is our top pick! It comes in small boxes so you only need to use a little at a time.
• Fever Tree Ginger Ale: Fever Tree is made with real ginger and contains no artificial sweeteners.
• Other Ginger Ale Brands: Here is a list of other top brands.

Want more drinks with ginger ale? Go to 8 Classic Ginger Cocktails.

How to Make Blue Long Island Iced Tea

Once you’ve gathered all the ingredients, the Blue Long Island is assembled in no time! The flavors come out incredibly fresh and delicious. This drink only contains 2.5 ounces of alcohol, so it’s not as boggy as you think! It is similar to many of our 300+ cocktails, especially the other highball cocktails. Here’s what to do:

• stir: Pour all ingredients into a highball glass. Add ice and stir.
• Garnish: Add a slice of lemon if you like.

More Long Island Iced Tea variations

There are many other ways to make this classic cocktail! Here are some other variations you can add to Blue Long Island:

When to serve Blue Long Island Iced Tea

A Blue Long Island is great for sipping in summer or on warm days, but works anytime. Try as:

• summer cocktail
• Happy hour drink
• Drink at dinner
• Late night drinks
• Evening drink between boys or between girls
• Aperitif at aperitif time