Enjoy a great seasonal cocktail with this Cran Apple Long Island Iced Tea.
It’s a fun – and delicious – twist on the classic LIT recipe.
There’s no denying that flavor and “wow” factor that a Long Island Iced Tea can bring to an evening nightcap.
But if you’re ready to shake it up a bit and try a new taste that you’re going to love, even more, it’s time to whip up this easy Cran Apple Long Island Ice Tea.
Enjoy a Cran Apple Long Island Iced Tea
Made with just 6 simple ingredients, you’ll have the confidence to create this tasty drink for yourself and your friends.
And the combination of cranberry and apple really takes this drink over the top!
Since it’s so perfect for fall, some people call drinks like this a Harvest Long Island Iced Tea.
But if you’re serving it, others will know what to expect if you tell them it’s a cran apple LIT.
Forget ordering those overpriced drinks at the bar.
This simple drink recipe is one that you’ll get requested to make over and over again.
Cran Apple LITs are a twist on the classic cocktail
Long Island Iced Teas are a popular drink to order but the truth is…
They all usually taste the same.
What’s so fun about this tasty drink recipe is that that first sip really is quite the “wow” factor!
It’s time to branch out of what you know and give this recipe a try.
Trust me when I say that this is a great recipe to add to your favorite drinks for the fall!
Why is it called a long island iced tea?
The name actually came from the fact that it “looked” normal, like tea.
And the Long Island you’re thinking of, in New York, is actually a little neighborhood in Kingsport, Tennessee.
There was a bartender there known as “Old Man Bishop” who is thought to have first created the drink.
And some people argue that the recipe first appeared in a Betty Crocker cookbook in the 1960s.
And there’s another guy known as “Bob Butt” who claims to have created the drink too.
There’s a lot of weird trivia about how the original Long Island Iced Tea recipe came to be. If you’re a trivia buff, you may enjoy reading about that at Thrillist.
But anyone who knows drinks knows that a Long Island Iced Tea actually packs quite the punch and really does have quite a bit of alcohol in it!
Depending on the size of the drink that you make, one drink might just do you in!
Ingredients to make a Cran Apple Long Island Iced Tea
- Triple Sec
- Spiced Rum
- Gin
- Apple Vodka
- Cran Apple juice
- Lemon-Lime soda
To make the drink, you will need these bar tools: a measuring cup or jigger, a cocktail shaker, a cocktail strainer, and beverage glasses.
You may also wish to use a cocktail pick for the cherries.
How to make a lighter Long Island Iced Tea
If you’d like to reduce the calories a bit (about 40 calories-ish), you can do so really easily.
What you want to do is make one or two simple replacements depending on how many calories you want to reduce.
You can replace the lemon-lime soda with diet, and the cran apple juice with diet or lite cran apple juice.
It’s that easy!
Can I make this drink without alcohol?
You can!
I know, it’s kind of funny thinking of a non-alcoholic Long Island Iced Tea…
It won’t be an LIT anymore.
But if you’re serving the kids of someone who’s not drinking, you can omit the liquors and simply serve the cran apple juice with a splash of Sprite or 7Up.
It makes a nice little cran apple spritzer.
However, if you want to try to replicate these delicious harvest LIT flavors, you can.
Here’s what to do.
Add a drop of rum extract, a drop of orange extract, and a cinnamon stick.
That will help you get the seasonal flavors in there to make your mocktail really tasty, and pretty close to the recipe for the cocktail.
How to Make Cranberry and Apple LIT
Put some ice in your cocktail shaker.
You want to fill it about halfway so there’s plenty of room for movement.
Then add the triple sec, rum, gin, vodka, and cran apple juice to shaker.
Give it a good shake for 20-30 seconds to combine.
Strain the mixture equally into 2 glasses filled with ice.
Top each drink off with 1 oz lemon lime soda.
Garnish with cherries or mint. And enjoy sipping on a fine seasonal drink!
More Long Island Iced Tea variations for you to try:
More great fall drink recipes to enjoy all season:
Sparkling Honey Cranberry Ginger Punch
Cranberry Ginger Beer Mocktail
Slow Cooker Baileys Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate
Cranberry and Orange Vodka Fizz
Gingerbread White Russian Cocktail
Peppermint Hot Chocolate Coffee
Highland Whiskey Hot Chocolate
Try it and share!
Please let us know how you enjoy our Cran Apple Long Island Iced Tea recipe.
If you make it yourself, please let us know on Pinterest that you tried it and tag us with #champagneandcoconuts on your Instagram photo.
If you haven’t had a chance to make it yet, be sure to save the recipe on Pinterest so you’ll remember where you found it.
Cran Apple Long Island Iced Tea
Equipment
- Cocktail Shaker
- Measuring cup or jigger
- Strainer
- Beverage Glasses
Ingredients
- 1 oz Triple Sec
- 1 oz Spiced Rum
- 1 oz Gin
- 1 oz Apple Vodka
- 4 oz Cran Apple juice
- 2 oz Lemon-Lime soda
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the triple sec, rum, gin, vodka, and cran apple juice. Shake well for about 20-30 seconds.
- Fill two beverage glasses with ice and pour the mixture through a strainer over the ice.
- Top off each drink with 1 oz lemon lime soda.
- Garnish with maraschino or Luxardo cherries or a sprig of mint.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi, I’m Jennifer. I love to cook and entertain. I have a lot of fun sharing traditional food and drink recipes as well as putting a new spin on the classics. I strive to provide easy to make recipes that are perfect for the home cook, bartender and entertainer.
What a delicious twist on a Long Island Iced Tea. I hadn’t thought to make it with cran apple juice before. It was so good!