LONG ISLAND ICED TEA “BREWHAHA” BETWEEN NEW YORK AND KINGSPORT, TENN. BEGINS JUNE 27. Battle lines have been drawn in the Long Island Iced Tea war.
It’s Y’all vs. Yous Guys as the Southern Long Islanders are set to take on the Northern Long Islanders for bragging rights in what is sure to be an epic Showdown.
In early May, Visit Kingsport (Tenn.) distributed a nationwide press release reclaiming its place In history as home of the Original Long Island Iced Tea. The city’s tourism officials say the drink was first concocted in the 1920s by Charlie “Old Man” Bishop, a well-known illegal liquor distributor who lived on the Kingsport’s Long Island.
That proclamation didn’t sit well with Butch Yamali, owner of Hudson’s on the Mile, a popular bar in Long Island, N.Y. Yamali sent a letter to Kingsport Mayor John Clark and Visit Kingsport, disputing Kingsport’s claim, declaring that Robert “Rosebud” Butt of Long Island, N.Y. invented the Long Island Iced Tea in 1972. The bar owner also challenged Kingsport to a duel with bragging rights over the popular drink on the line.
Anxious to defend its drink, history and honor, Kingsport gladly accepted the challenge. Both parties subsequently agreed to a Showdown that will feature two contests. the first slated for June 27 at 4 p.m. in New York at Hudson’s on the Mile, the second set for July 13 at 2 p.m. in Kingsport during its annual Fun Fest celebration.
The rules for the contest are as follows:
- Contest gives the winner the right to call its recipe for the drink the “Best Long Island Iced Tea”
- Each city will bring their best bartender to each meeting
- The contest will feature a Blind Taste Test involving five tasters who will choose between Drink A and Drink B
- The host city will provide two tasters and the remaining three spots will be chosen from a lottery of attendees at that event’s tasting
- The winning city of each round will get to participate in a flag raising ceremony -and will also clean the opposing team’s bar
The grand prize winner will receive the ”Best Long Island Iced Tea” championship belt. The gauntlet has been thrown. Let the beverage “brewhaha” begin!
For more information, contact Lori Worley at 423-900-8417 or lori@thehighroadagency.com.
The perfect use for a Long Island Iced Tea
By Paul Kavanaugh
No matter who wins the contest, a Long Island Iced Tea is a great drink.
I have the perfect idea for consuming one or more of these. Sunday, Father’s Day, is the final round of the US Open, arguably the most important golf tournament of the year. It is always Father’s Day weekend, a complete joy to us golf fans, maybe not so much for non-golfing wives! When I am asked, “Hey Dad, what do you want for Father’s Day?”, my standard reply is “Just leave me alone on Sunday afternoon to sit in my easy chair and watch the US Open.”
Well, naturally, a delicious cold beverage is a perfect accompaniment, and that’s where a Long Island Ice Tea comes in quite handy. They tend to be rather strong, so better drinking more than one in the comfort of your own home! Obviously, the drink one selects to watch the Open can vary widely from beer to wine to your favorite cocktail. You can’t really make a bad decision! But after all the hubbub about these Long Island Ice Teas, it seems to me that this is the absolute perfect golf-watching beverage.
Join me, won’t you?
And Go Tiger!
