Arnold Palmer Drink – A Beautiful Mess

The Arnold Palmer is a refreshing summer drink from the 1960s. It is made by combining lemonade and iced tea. In my opinion, this winning combination is better than iced tea or lemonade. They pair so well together. Although this recipe is extremely simple, there are tons of variations and finding the ratio you like best is important. We’ll explore a lot of variations to make the perfect Arnold Palmer drink.

More nonalcoholic drinks: Roy Rogers Drink, Shirley Temple, Agua Fresca, Virgin Mojito, Pink Drink, Butterbeer, Fruit Punch.

Ingredients in an Arnold Palmer

• Lemonade – You can use homemade or store-bought lemonade.
• Iced Tea – Traditionally unsweetened black tea is used, but you can use any brewed tea. The classic recipe calls for unsweetened tea, but again, choose your own adventure.
• Ice

The best glass to serve an Arnold Palmer in is a highball glass. I also used paper straws in my photos (although these glass straws are my absolute favorite).

How To Make

Begin by filling a glass with ice cubes.

Pour lemonade and then iced tea over ice cubes, giving it a gentle stir at the end.

Garnish with a lemon slice, orange wedge or fresh mint (optional).

You can store this drink in your fridge for up to 3-5 days (for best flavor, drink it within five days).

History

The Arnold Palmer drink is named after golf legend Arnold Palmer. Arnold “The King” Palmer is famous for winning 62 PGA Tour titles between 1955 and 1973. Arnold’s go-to drink was a lemonade and unsweet iced tea. He was often seen toting around a thermos with his namesake drink. 

Arnold Palmer and his wife, Winnie, are credited for creating this nonalcoholic drink. Winnie had been making Arnold the tea and lemonade combination for years. One day in a Palm Springs restaurant Arnold ordered iced tea and lemonade while at lunch. A woman sitting near their table overheard them and asked the waitress for “an Arnold Palmer drink.” This recipe has been popular ever since. Its refreshing taste and simple ingredients have stood the test of time.

Best Arnold Palmer Ratio

• 1:1 – Fill the glass with ice, then fill it with half lemonade and half iced tea. This variation is often called the Half & Half.
• 1:2 – Fill the glass with ice, then fill the glass one third of the way up with lemonade, then top the remaining two thirds with tea. This was Arnold Palmer’s favored version.
• 1:3 – Fill the glass ¼ full with lemonade, then top with iced tea.

Determining the “best” ratio is a matter of opinion. If you are using unsweetened tea, I recommend beginning with 1:1 and if that is too sweet for you, try 1:2 the next round. If you are using sweetened tea, the overall drink will always be sweeter, so it’s more a matter of how much tea vs. lemonade you want to taste.

Tips for Making

• When making such a simple recipe it’s best to use the highest quality ingredients. We recommend homemade lemonade and tea.
• Add fresh mint and lemon for even more flavor.
• Try flavored teas for a fun variation. You can use any type of tea, so get creative!

Variations

• Winnie Palmer – Named after Arnold Palmer’s wife, this recipe uses sweetened iced tea instead of unsweet.
• Sunjoy – The restaurant chain Chick-fil-A serves a version of the Arnold Palmer they call “Sunjoy.” Their beverage is made with lemonade and sweetened tea (optionally customers can substitute for unsweet tea of diet lemonade if they choose).
• Iced Tea Lemonade – Starbucks serves their own version using lemonade and black tea that is then sweetened with simple syrup.
• John Daly (Arnie Palmer Cocktail) – If you want a spiked Arnold Palmer, add a shot of vodka and it’s called the John Daly (named for another pro golfer) during the 1990s. Though vodka is the most popular liquor to add to this recipe, I would personally add bourbon, but rum or limoncello could also make an interesting choice. Add a shot of any alcohol you like to create a spiked Arnie Palmer.
• Flavored Tea – The easiest way to customize this recipe is by using a flavored tea. I always use herbal teas (because my kids love these drinks) and I love vanilla tea, orange or cherry with this recipe. Mint tea is also a refreshing choice.
• Flavored Syrup – If you want to add more flavor and sweetness, try a flavored syrup such as our mint simple syrup or grenadine.
• Arnold Palmer Pitcher – It’s so easy to make a pitcher version of this recipe. Simply fill a pitcher with your ideal ratio of tea to lemonade and garnish with fresh mint or lemons if you’re feeling fancy.

FAQ

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