The history of Long Island Iced Tea
As with many cocktails, Long Island Iced Tea has a whole strand of myths surrounding its recipe and origins.
One of these stories locates its invention in the U.S. of the 1920s to 1930s, at the time of alcohol prohibition. Since neither its name nor its taste indicate a strong alcoholic beverage, this is a plausible derivation.
However, the long drink found its first official mention only in the 1970s. The original recipe is attributed to American bartender Robert “Rosebud” Butt, who created the cocktail for a competition at the then nightclub Oak Beach Inn for the first time. But even this story cannot be proven beyond doubt.
However, it is certain that Long Island Iced Tea originated in the USA in the 20th century.