The classic Long Island Iced Tea is on of the most controversial cocktails in the world. Equal parts of vodka, rum, gin, tequila and triple sec with some citrus juice (lemon or lime) and coke. Some people like it, some despise it. There are many recipes and variations, e. g. omitting the tequila or changing the proportions. The base of the Long Island, however, is always the same: a mix of the five clear spirits. So how about a BITTER Long Island?
Today, we will apply this concept to the category of “bitter liqueurs”, which includes bitter aperitifs and so-called amari as subcategories. This might seem counter-intuitive, but bitter liqueurs are very different. Hence, it is possible to balance the various ingredients.
Properties of bitter liqueurs
There are certain properties by which the various bitter liqueurs there are can be described. First of all, this applies to a varying balance of bitterness and sweetness. While every bitter liqueur is bitter to some extent, they are very different with regard to the balance of bitterness and sweetness. Some liqueurs are very bitter with almost no sweetness. For instance, this applies to Fernet Branca. In contrast, other liqueurs are primarily sweet and the bitterness is more of an undertone, like Aperol.
In this recipe, we are going to use Campari, Cynar, Amaro Nonino and Fernet Branca. Campari is a bitter aperitif and clearly on the bitter side of the spectrum. The overall taste is earthy and herbaceous. Cynar lies somewhere in between the categories of bitter aperitifs and amari. However, it is a lot more sweet then Campari and not as herbaceous. The component we will use to balance the bitterness is Amaro Nonino. As its name suggests, it is an amaro and on the sweet side of the spectrum. I have never seen anyone else suggest that comparison, but I always find it to taste of marzipan somehow. The fourth and final bitter liqueur is Fernet Branca. It is the most well-known example of a Fernet, a subcategory of amari. It is probably the liqueur with the least sweetness to it.
Further replacements
The classic Long Island Iced Tea consists of four clear spirits, triple sec, citrus and coke. In our Bitter Long Island, we will replace the spirits by bitter liqueurs. Furthermore, we will substitute grapefruit liqueur for the triple sec (which is an orange liqueur). This choice is made pretty much for fun, as grapefruits are widely considered bitter. Finally, we will use grapefruit juice (preferably white) in place of the citrus and soda in place of the coke (the effervesence is crucial). One thing that can be done here: Adding a few drops of 20% saline solution tempers the bitterness ever so slightly, making the drink more balanced.
Combine all ingredients except the seltzer in a shaker, shake for 10 - 20 seconds, then pour into a highball glass over ice.
Add the seltzer to the drink, stir briefly and garnish with a wedge of citrus, preferably grapefruit.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine all ingredients except the seltzer in a shaker, shake for 10 - 20 seconds, then pour into a highball glass over ice.
Add the seltzer to the drink, stir briefly and garnish with a wedge of citrus, preferably grapefruit.
Tasting the Bitter Long Island
Unsurprisingly, it is really, really bitter. Surprisingly, at least to some, it is really, really good. We have succeeded in balancing the more and less bitter liqueurs with each other. It is best compared with a very bold Campari soda, as the ingredients form a all-embracing bitterness. The one flavor that is still rather prominent in the mix is the Fernet’s mintyness. The Amaro Nonino and Cynar sweeten the whole mix up a bit.
This experiment is a true success, especially, as the concept sounds a bit strange at first. Mixing a bunch of different bitter liqueurs the right way makes for a really delicious cocktail! However, finding a combination that works is probably not that hard. To be completely honest, the recipe above is the very first iteration of this idea. It worked out perfectly right away. Of course, whether you like the bitter taste at all is a matter of personal preference.
I was really amazed how well this worked out. Now this raises the question what other categories the “Long Island concept” could be applied to. Unfortunately, I could not come up with any other idea that seems reasonable, as they often do not vary enough in taste and, therefore, a balance is hard to achieve.
A final look at the flavor map
Recall the initial purpose of this recipe: Making a “Long Island”-style drink that replaces the spirits by bitter liqueurs. We absolutely succeeded in terms of the bitterness. As mentioned above, the drink is really bitter. On a side note, despite the use of saline solution, the drink is not salty 😉 Also, the final drink is quite herbaceous and slightly mineral. However, it is quite complex after all. The drink maintains its longdrink character, which means it has a refreshing component to it that complements the heavy ingredients. So the final result is: If you are into bitter liqueurs and you have the ingredients to make this, you definitely should. And in case you have not noticed – this recipe even produces the typical iced tea look that the original LIIT is famous for.
