Miami Iced Tea

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 08/16/22
Tested by Mary Jo Romano
Miami Iced Tea Cocktail
Jupiterimages / Stockbyte / Getty Images
Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

Take a departure from the Long Island iced tea and travel down the coast for a Miami iced tea. It follows the Long Island's formula of five liquors with a little sour mix and soda. Yet, it has a few extra changes not found in the other "iced teas."

In this fruitier version, the tequila takes a hike and peach schnapps is brought in. The recipe also adds cranberry juice, just like the Long Beach tea. To finish it off, this drink prefers a more refreshing lemon-lime soda instead of cola. It all comes together in spectacular fashion and the Miami iced tea is a great drink for hot summer days.

“What a happy drink. I felt like I was drinking an adult lollipop! A complex beverage that activates all the taste buds. Balanced, fruity, sweet with sour, all in complex layers of flavor. And delightfully pinkish-red color too.” —Mary Jo Romano 

Miami Iced Tea/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Build the ingredients in a collins glass filled with ice.

  3. Stir well.

  4. Serve and enjoy.

Tips

  • As with the other iced tea drinks, there's so much going on in the Miami iced tea that it's not necessary to pour your best booze. This is a drink that can easily be made using your "well" liquor, which can save some money.
  • Sour mix is an essential bar ingredient and it's easy to make at home. Essentially, it's just a simple syrup made with lemon and lime juices (or either citrus). There's even a way to make it instantly in a cocktail shaker.

Recipe Variations

  • If you want to bring tequila back into the mix, use it to replace any of the liquors.
  • The Miami iced tea sometimes gets confused with the Miami Beach iced tea. While that recipe is similar, the major difference is that the "beach" version is blue, which is why it's also called electric iced tea.
  • It's easy to transform this drink into a big-batch cocktail that can be mixed up by the pitcher. Simply combine all of the ingredients, multiplying them by the number of servings you want. Stir it and store the punch in the refrigerator until needed. If you'll be storing it for more than an hour, hold the soda and add that to the individual glasses so you don't lose carbonation.

How Strong Is a Miami Iced Tea?

The liquor-filled ingredient list makes this appear to be a very strong drink. You'll be surprised when you do the math, however.


The total volume of liquor is just 2 1/2 ounces, which is like a tall shot of a single liquor. When you add the mixers, the Miami iced tea mixes up to a rather mild 16 percent ABV (32 proof). The problem with these drinks getting people drunk faster than expected often comes when someone overpours the liquors.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
210 Calories
0g Fat
21g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 210
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 6mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 21g 8%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 20g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 13mg 65%
Calcium 8mg 1%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 38mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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