Arnold Palmer Cocktail

An Arnold Palmer drink is a cool summer refresher made by mixing iced tea with lemonade in one glass. It’s named after the famous golfer who made this combo popular as his go to drink on warm days. The balance of tea and lemon makes it both bright and smooth.

Most people start with equal parts iced tea and lemonade as that 1:1 ratio gives a balanced drink where sweetness and citrus are even. If you like your drink less sweet and more tea forward, you can lean toward more tea than lemonade.

Yes you can choose either sweet or unsweetened tea based on your taste but most purists use unsweet tea so the lemonade provides the sweetness. Sweet tea will make the drink sweeter without needing extra sugar.

Brew your favourite black tea and let it cool, pour it over ice then add chilled lemonade and stir gently. Use fresh lemonade and properly chilled tea so the flavours stay crisp and refreshing.

Traditionally an Arnold Palmer is non-alcoholic and just tea plus lemonade. Some people do make boozy versions by adding a splash of vodka or bourbon but the classic drink doesn't have any alcohol in it.

The drink is named after champion golfer Arnold Palmer who often ordered iced tea mixed with lemonade after playing golf and others started calling it by his name.

There’s no strict rule but many bartenders start with ice, add lemonade and then pour in the iced tea so it blends nicely. In the end you stir both together, so it’s about preference not a must do step.

Sure you can batch Arnold Palmers by mixing tea and lemonade in a pitcher and keeping it chilled until guests arrive. Just add ice and a garnish like lemon slices or mint when serving for the best presentation. We always prefer to serve this as fresh as possible whenever we make this for our guests in a large pitcher jug to share with everyone. This ensures maximum flavour in every sip.