Robert “Rosebud” Butt claims to have invented the Long Island Iced Tea as an entry in a contest to create a new mixed drink with triple sec in 1972 while he worked at the Oak Beach Inn on Long Island, New York. It contains a mix of 5 alcohols and usually topped with cola.
This contemporary cocktail has been a huge hit and is known around the world, not least because the drink has a much higher alcohol concentration (approximately 22 percent) than most highball drinks due to the relatively small amount of mixer.