68 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • MAY 2018
PRESS MAIN DISH
THE GEORGIA SPECIAL:
LI ICED TEA’S SOUTHERN COUSIN
By CJ ARLOTTA
It’s safe to say most Long Islanders
are familiar with Long Island Iced
Tea (LIIT), but they’re likely not as
acquainted with its not-so-distant
Southern cousin, The Georgia Special.
Both cocktails are known for being
extra strong, but only one has made
it onto the cocktail list at Charlotte’s
Speakeasy, which has been making
a name for itself in the speakeasy
community on LI and beyond. The
Georgia Special pulls inspiration
from LIIT’s best characteristics and
strengthens its faults.
“It’s on the sweeter side,” says
Matthew Zeiss, bar manager at
Charlotte’s Speakeasy, which can
be found underneath Charlotte’s
Frozen Yogurt on Main Street
in Farmingdale and requires
a password for patrons to gain
entry. “It’s refreshing. It’s also very
dangerous. It’s one of those drinks
that you don’t realize how much
liquor’s in there because it tastes
very good; it tastes like juice.”
The drink was inspired by Robert
Butt, who invented the Island’s most
famous beverage at the Oak Beach
Inn in the early 1970s. But Zeiss, who
doesn’t particularly like the taste of
LITT, which has five types of liquors,
began floating ideas around and
mixing ingredients in the hope of
concocting his own potent cocktail
— one that according to him would
“taste good right off the bat.”
The essence of The Georgia Special,
also known to many as Zeiss Tea (a
nod to LIIT and Zeiss) is peach, a
flavor that “goes with a lot of liquor,”
he adds.
“I first developed The Georgia
Special about four years ago,” Zeiss
says. “Originally it had a brand of
peach whiskey in it, however, it
occurred to me to make a recipe
that uses more common speedrack
ingredients like Robert Butt’s
Long Island Iced Tea to allow it to
be made just about anywhere. I then
switched out the peach whiskey for
Captain Morgan Spiced Rum.”
After the bar manager found the
right ingredient mix for the drink,
he gave the cocktail its name, which
he derived from the simple fact that
Georgia’s known to many for its
peaches. The Georgia Peach was
already taken, so he improvised.
“The only hiccup in the recipe
was adjusting the color to be more
peachy than the yellow and browns
that make up the main ingredients,”
Zeiss notes. “I added the splash of
cranberry to not only offset the sweet
with a little tart but to also turn the
color into a more pink/peach hue.”
Served over ice in a Collins glass,
The Georgia Special is made up
of Captain Morgan, Southern
Comfort, Apricot Brandy, Peach
Schnapps, pineapple juice, orange
juice and a splash of cranberry juice.
For the finale, it’s garnished with a
peach when the fruit is in season.
He uses oranges when peaches
aren’t available.
The Georgia Special will give
imbibers looking to get the party
started early on in the night an
extra kick almost immediately.
Guest feedback is often “‘This is
dangerous,’ simply because it’s so
disguised by its taste that you forget
how potent it can be,” Zeiss says.
Charlotte’s Speakeasy is located at
294 Main St. in Farmingdale. It
can be reached at 516-586-8530 or
charlottesspeakeasy.com
Charlotte’s Speakeasy Bar Manager Matthew Zeiss spares no rum in The Georgia Special. (Photo by Jennifer Zeiss)
Guest feedback is often,
“This is dangerous.”