McGuinness Original Long Island Iced Tea Review

We had a craving for some Long Island Iced Tea a couple of days ago so we all got into the car and drove to the nearest LCBO to get some of the magical ingredients. At first we were going to buy 375 mL bottles of essentials - vodka, tequila, rum, gin and triple sec - but then the total would have come up to about $72.95. Sure, we would have had 1,875 mL of hard liquor to use for other cocktails or shooters, but we wanted something quick and cheap to satisfy the craving. We came across the McGuinness Original Long Island Iced Tea mix, which unlike other similar mixes, is 38% alcohol by volume. The price is not bad either at $30.50 for a 1.14 L bottle. All that was left for us to do is buy lemons, limes, Cola and some concentrated (or frozen) juices.

The mix is strong and has a strong vodka/rum aroma with a sweet triple sec undertone. The gin aroma is also noticeable, but takes a backseat. The one thing that is missing from the mix was tequila, but we decided not to add any.

The Mix

At first we made some lime juice following the instructions given on the label of the Long Island Iced Tea bottle. We opened a can of frozen Minute Maid lime juice, emptied its contents in a pitcher and added only half the required amount of water. The rest of the recipe was as easy to follow:

• pour 1.5 oz of McGuinness Long Island Iced Tea,
• add 2-3 oz of lemon, or lime mix (we used 3),
• add some ice,
• add Cola until the color changes to that of iced tea.

The recipe was OK, but the strong taste of the mix was ruining the overall experience. Since we didn't want to water down the cocktail too much, we upped the iced tea and lime parts a little. The recipe was changed to:

• 1.75 oz of iced tea mix
• 4 oz of lime mix
• ice
• Cola until the color changes
• lime wedge

The recipe works just as well with concentrated lemon juice, except the color changes faster to that of iced tea so an extra splash of coke is needed to balance the taste.

This mix is great for parties around the holidays as it cuts down on the alcohol expenses and results in a pretty decent cocktail. I would recommend getting a small bottle of tequila, say 200 mL, to add a bit to each drink for an improved taste.

Scores:
Cost - $30.50 CAD for a 1.14L bottle
Taste - 8/10

Overall - 8/10...makes a decent cocktail, cuts down on alcohol expenses, but needs some tequila