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Long Beach Iced Tea

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Author

Jessica Pinney

Published

Jun. 1, 2026

Updated

Jun. 1, 2026

A twist on the classic Long Island Iced Tea, this version is fruitier – thanks to cranberry juice. It’s perfect for those who want a thirst quenching, high-ABV cocktail.

Closeup of a highball glass that's filled with a light pink cocktail and small, clear ice cubes. It's garnished with a half lime slice on the left side of the rim.

My favorite variation of a Long Island iced tea cocktail is easily the Long Beach iced tea.

It’s made with cranberry juice in place of the usual splash of cola. There’s just something about that simple substitution that really brightens up the drink.

In my opinion, it turns it into a cocktail that’s the perfect balance of refreshing and heavy hitting. I can’t get enough of them during the summer. Highly recommend sipping on one beach or poolside.

For a different Long Island version that’s even fruitier, try the Tokyo Tea.

Ingredients

Vodka – Use your favorite brand of vodka.
Rum – You’ll need a white or sliver rum for this recipe.
Gin – A London dry gin works well in this cocktail.
Tequila – Use silver or blanco tequila.
Triple sec – Be sure to use a triple sec liqueur, not the non-alcoholic syrup version.
Sweet & Sour – Use store-bought or make your own by dissolving 1 part sugar into 1 part water, then adding 1 part fresh squeezed lemon juice, and 1 part fresh squeezed lime juice.
Cranberry juice – If you use an unsweetened version, you’ll want to add simple syrup to balance out the bitterness.
Garnish – Keep it simple with a lemon or lime half wheel.

Tips

This cocktail fits in a highball glass, but if you’d like to add more cranberry juice or other mixer, use a pint glass.
I recommend using pebble ice, crushed ice, or small ice cubes – especially if you’re using a highball glass.
If you have leftover sweet & sour mix you don’t know what to do with, try making a June Bug cocktail or Midori Sour.

A highball glass is filled with small cubes of ice and a light pink cocktail. It's garnished with a half-moon lime slice and a black straw.

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