AMF Cocktail (Long Island Iced Tea Riff)

This tall, citrusy sipper is a lighter, blue-r version of the infamous Long Island Iced Tea. Lemon-lime soda takes the place of cola, and blue curaçao adds a pop of summery color.

No, the AMF isn’t a refined cocktail. It isn’t fancy, or complicated. It’s a simple drink that is sweet, sour, and most importantly – it’s a lot of fun.

Blue drinks are some of the most fun summer cocktails, and this one is easy, pretty, and crowd-pleasing. It’s quick to batch up for a group, and you can keep a bottle of pre-made mix in the fridge and then just top each glass with soda and a squeeze of citrus.

You may also enjoy my Blue Skies Sparkling Sake Cocktail!

If you’re a fan of lemon-lime sodas like Sprite, 7-Up or even Italian lemon soda, this is a cocktail to try this summer.

History of the AMF and the LIIT

So who invented the AMF? That’s a good question, and one that seems to be largely unanswered. What we do know is that this Long Island Iced Tea riff is also sometimes known as a Blue Motorcycle.

The original tall and boozy cocktail, the Long Island Iced Tea was allegedly invented by one Robert Butt in the early 1970s, although similar recipes are purported to have been in print earlier.

There’s also the Prohibition-era story of the “Old Man Bishop,” a boozy concoction from the south that featured a mix of five types of liquor.

Whatever the origin of the boozy drinks we’ve come to know today, the Long Island Iced Tea was the inspiration for the AMF and many other spin-offs.

If you’re reading this, chances are you already know what AMF stands for (Adios Mother******). Exactly how this bright blue cocktail came to be called this is a mystery, but it’s likely that it had something to do with its original specs, which (like a full strength LIIT) included a hefty four ounces of liquor. 

You can opt to make the drink with one ounce of each of the four spirits if you choose, but I wouldn’t recommend it. It’s a much more balanced drink with a reasonable two ounces of liquor, and you can always fix a second later, if you like!

Citrus juices vs. sour mix

Many AMF recipes call for sour mix, but it’s unnecessary, in my opinion. Sour mix is a sweet and sour cocktail mixer that can be recreated at home with citrus juices and simple syrup.

Because this cocktail is made with lemon-lime soda and the orange-flavored liqueur blue curaçao, there is already plenty of sweetness.

Sour mix would add sour and more sweet, potentially tipping the scales to too sweet. To keep things refreshing and feeling fairly light, all that’s needed is a splash of fresh lemon or lime juice.

After mixing the liquor, liqueur, and soda, simply squeeze a wedge of lemon or lime over the drink for a bright, fresh flavor that will keep this drink from leaning too sweet or too strong. Garnishing with a sprig of mint will also add freshness and soften the edges.

Variations: Aqua Velva and Tokyo Iced Tea

There are several variations of the classic Long Island Iced Tea, but the Aqua Velva and Tokyo Iced Tea are most similar to the AMF. 

The Aqua Velva is made with only vodka and gin, instead of the combination of vodka, gin, tequila, and rum. Combine one ounce of gin with one ounce of vodka, a half ounce of blue curaçao, and a squeeze of lemon or lime juice. Top with lemon-lime soda. 

The Tokyo Iced Tea follows the same proportions as the AMF, but replaces the blue curaçao with the melon-flavored liqueur Midori. Some recipes also increase the quantity of Midori to one ounce, for maximum fruity flavor and neon green color.

You might also enjoy:

• The Original Hurricane
• 4 Ways to Upgrade Your Vodka Soda
• Gin Rickey
• Classic Pina Coladas

How to batch for a group

For each drink, you’ll need a half ounce each of: vodka, gin, white rum, and tequila blanco, and blue curaçao.

So if you’re making a batch of 8 drinks, this would look like: 4 ounces vodka, 4 ounces gin, 4 ounces white rum, 4 ounces tequila, and 4 ounces blue curaçao.

You’ll also need 4-6 oz (about a half can) of lemon-lime soda for each cocktail, so for 8 drinks that would be approximately 16-24 oz, or about 4 cans of soda. Chill the soda well in advance and make sure you have plenty of quality ice.

Combine the liquors and liqueur in a bottle or pitcher and place in the refrigerator until it’s time to assemble the drinks. Just before guests arrive, cut 8 lemon wedges (about 1 large lemon).

Fill 8 tall glasses with ice and divide the liquor mix between the glasses. Top each glass with chilled lemon-lime soda (about 4-6 ounces each) and squeeze a lemon wedge over before serving. Garnish with fresh mint, and for an even more festive, summer vibe, edible flowers.

Did you make the AMF? Tag me on Instagram and Pinterest!