The Tully Tea Cocktail

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 05/13/21
Leo DeGroff's Tully Tea Cocktail
Lauri Patterson / E+ / Getty Images
Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

Whiskey does not typically find its way into the popular Long Island Iced Tea, and on the rare occasion when it does, Irish whiskey is almost never used. However, the Tully Tea recipe will have you rethinking this famous drink because it transforms it into a high-class beverage that any drinker can appreciate.

The Tully Tea was created by Leo DeGroff, son of the legendary "King of the Cocktail" Dale DeGroff. He has made a name for himself in the bartending world and, as we see here, is creating equally impressive drinks.

For this recipe, DeGroff uses specific brands for each of the liquors: Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey, Cabo Wabo Blanco Tequila, Flor de Caña Rum, and Oxley Gin. Follow this advice or use comparable substitutes; it's an essential step to upgrading one of the most popular recipes in the bar.

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a cocktail shaker, combine the gin, Irish whiskey, rum, tequila, simple syrup, and lemon juice with ice.

  3. Shake vigorously.

  4. Strain into a highball glass.

  5. Add ice to fill and top it off with cola.

  6. Serve and enjoy.

Recipe Variation

  •  Add 2 dashes of Angostura Bitters to the shaker and replace the cola with ginger ale. The result is a slightly lighter drink with a great balance of flavor

(Recipe from Leo DeGroff)

Reviving the Legendary Long Island Ice Tea

Many cocktail enthusiasts have decried the merits of the Long Island Iced Tea (or LIIT, for short) in recent years. It's true that this famous drink has been little more than a quick way to get drunk without drinking a bunch of shots. And yet, there are still many LIIT fans out there, and if you are one of them, then this is a recipe you will want to taste.

Where the Long Island often goes wrong is that bartenders will use the full line up of liquor in the bar's "well" to create it. This recipe does just the opposite, by-passing the cheap stuff and opting instead for some of the best brands in their respective categories. The fact that the "tasteless" vodka has been replaced by a flavorful Irish whiskey makes it all the better.

How Strong Is the Tully Tea?

Highballs are always difficult to calculate when it comes to measuring the final alcohol content, because there are many factors involved. Each bartender has their own pouring style, highball glasses vary by a couple of ounces, and the amount of ice used can vary greatly.


Let's assume that 1 ounce of soda is used to fill the glass. We know the proof of all of the liquors: the rum, tequila and whiskey are each 80 proof, and Oxley Gin weighs in at 94 proof. Knowing that, we can estimate that the Tully Tea is about 18 percent alcohol by volume (36 proof).


Does that surprise you? It should, because the Long Island family of drinks has a reputation of being very potent when, in reality, they are not. Any of these "tea" drinks look strong because of the longer list of liquors. However, the four spirits add up to only a 2-ounce pour and it is almost half as strong as most classic martinis.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
242 Calories
0g Fat
21g Carbs
0g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 242
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 3mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 21g 8%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 20g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 9mg 44%
Calcium 2mg 0%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 28mg 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.)