Surely few of the visitors to bars, restaurants and cafes, enjoying the next glass of refreshing tasty cocktail, at least once thought about the history of its origin. But such drinks were not born by chance. The history of their invention is usually very rich and interesting. This time we will talk about a very popular cocktail called “Long Island Ice Tea”, the recipe of which is known to all bartenders. After all, this drink with a rich and rich taste is often ordered by visitors. So where did he come from, what caused his creation?
Paradoxical as it may sound, a cocktail was invented in America during the Prohibition period . In those days, alcohol was under the strictest ban. And drink lovers were forced to go to various tricks to enjoy their favorite drinks. The Long Island cocktail, whose recipe was kept secret at that time, looked very much like ordinary tea. It was even served with a slice of lemon for greater resemblance. Its color and aroma did not reveal the composition of the drink. They used it cold with pieces of ice (this tradition has been preserved to this day). Thus, local residents could afford to relax a bit after a hard day without fear of punishment from the authorities.
The Long Island cocktail, the recipe of which later became known throughout the world, left the shadows only in 1970. There is one interesting story connected with this drink. According to her, the origin of the cocktail is inextricably linked with the unusual "game" of local hard workers. It consisted of walking along the entire length of the street, without missing a single bar located here. Of course, the winner was the one who managed to get to the end of the street on his own feet after such libations.
The Long Island cocktail, the recipe of which contains quite a lot of
strong alcoholic drinks, has been and remains very popular. However, the name of its creator is still shrouded in mystery.
There is another version of the origin of the drink, according to which the authorship belongs to one resourceful bartender who wanted to please the client. Rumor has it that a man accompanied by a charming girl regularly went to one of such establishments of that time and ordered whiskey every time. As a result, his companion set a condition for him - either she or alcohol. The man, like a true gentleman, chose a lady. And since then, in the bar, she always ordered him iced tea. But once, when she got out, the resourceful client asked him to mix some strong cocktail that would look like this invigorating soft drink with lemon. From a combination of gin, rum, tequila, liquor, vodka and tea for color, Long Island was born. The cocktail, the recipe of which can now be learned from almost any source, is now regularly served in restaurants and cafes. However, if desired, it can be prepared at home.
You will need 20 ml of gin, a little less vodka (15 ml), the same amount of silver tequila, light rum, as well as orange liquor, half a lemon, a little Gomme syrup (30 ml), ice cubes and Cola to taste.
Make a tall glass. Put ice in it. Mix all the alcohol and syrup in a glass. Squeeze the same lemon juice. Pour the Coke. Everything is carefully mixed with a special spoon for cocktails. The Long Island, the recipe of which you just learned, is almost ready. It remains only to decorate the glass before serving. This is done with a small slice of lemon and a bright straw.