With the winter holidays over and no major celebrations due in the coming weeks, we finally have the time to kick back and spend afternoons in relative quiet. Of course, there’s always work, but since I run a home office, I can take a break anytime I want to - sucks for you cubicle kids, though.

I’ve been avoiding stiff drinks for the last two weeks, so I can regain some of my muster back from all the heavy - and I do mean heavy - binging of the past month. As such, my current tastes run the simple, banal and light. A few times, though, I still engage in pretty heavy alcohol-infused refreshers like this Long Island Iced Tea recipe below.

Long Island Iced Tea

This is a classic alcohol-infused iced tea with a pretty heavy slant on the alcohol. I think I got this particular mix of it from a magazine. This is just as refreshing as any Long Island Iced Tea, except I’ve found this to be stronger (both in alcohol and taste) than anything I’ve tasted. I usually make a whole bunch for several servings.

For a start, create your sweet syrup with a mix of equal parts sugar and water (you can cut down the sugar if you prefer). Mix them in a saucepan and heat until sugar dissolves. Allow it to cool.

I then drop an ounce or so each of Cointreau liqueur vodka, tequila, rum, gin, lemon juice and Coke in a small pitcher (about 3 tall glasses) and add in the syrup and ice. I can drink it all by myself or share it with anyone who comes by.

Add in your own garnish, although, I personally don’t bother. Either way, hardly any work gets done afterwards.