Arnold Palmer

Equal parts iced tea and fresh lemonade — golf's greatest contribution to bars

5 min
Serves 1
Earthy & Citrusy
Tall glass over ice
0% ABV
  • 200ml unsweetened iced tea (black tea, brewed strong and chilled)
  • 200ml fresh lemonade (juice of 2 lemons, 2 tbsp sugar, 300ml water)
  • Ice
  • Lemon slice & mint to garnish

  1. 1
    Make lemonadeCombine lemon juice, sugar, and water. Stir until sugar dissolves. Chill.
  2. 2
    Brew teaBrew 2 black tea bags in 250ml boiling water for 4 minutes. Remove bags. Cool completely.
  3. 3
    BuildFill a tall glass with ice. Pour equal parts iced tea and lemonade simultaneously from two containers for the layered effect.
  4. 4
    GarnishAdd lemon slice and mint.

About This Drink

Arnold Palmer (1929–2016) was one of America's greatest golfers and the inadvertent inventor of one of its most beloved drinks. He ordered the combination so consistently — either at his home in Latrobe, Pennsylvania or at Augusta National — that waitresses began calling it 'the usual' before eventually naming it after him. Today it is served at every diner, club, and café across America.

The ratio is flexible — Palmer himself reportedly preferred more tea than lemonade. The tea should be unsweetened so the lemonade provides all the sweetness. For a John Daly (the boozy version), add lemonade vodka — but the original needs nothing. Fresh-squeezed lemonade is worth the extra effort.

Source
Standard at every American diner; reportedly invented at the Cherry Hills Country Club, Denver
Origin
United States
Difficulty
Easy · 5 min