Working as a bartender, I got all sorts of annoying drink orders. Some became exhausting because everyone wanted one, and some were a huge effort, like anything with egg whites. But one cocktail in particular is always going to fill me with dread.
A drink that not only takes ages to make but also guarantees the drinker gets blasted is a lose-lose situation. They're not going to be drinking much, and they'll be belligerent quickly. Of course, it's none other than the Long Island iced tea.
This cocktail, made up of five different liquors, is a mean drink. It tastes like a boozy summer's day on a beach, but it'll knock you for six. It contains gin, vodka, tequila, rum, and triple sec. Even reading those ingredients gives me a hangover.
Depending on the liquor used, it can be stronger but rarely weaker. I have, on occasion, used an ovenproof rum in the drink just to really make it into jet fuel. I wouldn't recommend it, though.
Why Do Bartenders Hate This Cocktail So Much
The Long Island iced tea isn't that tricky to make. It's basically just a massive alcoholic punch. But it's the people who drink them who are the problem. They can be put away in minutes, and they're usually drunk as a means to get wasted fast.
Whenever someone serves this cocktail, whoever is drinking it needs to be kept in eyesight. They'll be tipsy after one and drunk after two. People become unpredictable with that much liquor in them that fast. But anyone who orders one already knows that, so they're probably playing catch-up.
The problem with the cocktail for bartenders is how dangerous they can be. People often overestimate their drinking abilities. The sweet and easy-drinking nature of the Long Island iced tea means people drink them fast, not realizing how strong they are.
It's a cocktail that is associated with rowdy customers, vomit, blackouts, and all the rest. They're a breeze to make, but the damage control afterward makes this a cocktail that bartenders dread. One or two is usually fine, but it's rarely only one or two.
The post The Drink That Bar Tenders Everywhere Dread When A Person Orders It appeared first on Wide Open Country.