Arnold Palmer (Half Lemonade, Half Iced Tea)
An Arnold Palmer is equal parts fresh lemonade and unsweetened black iced tea over ice, and making it from scratch takes about 10 minutes with nothing more than lemons, sugar, water, and tea bags. It’s less a recipe than a ratio, but getting that ratio right, and skipping the sugar in the tea, is what separates a good one from a bottled version that tastes like candy. This is the kind of drink that makes you wonder why you ever bought it pre-mixed. Serve it alongside our old-fashioned lemonade at a summer cookout so people can build their own.
Quick answer: An Arnold Palmer is equal parts fresh lemonade and unsweetened black iced tea, served over ice. It takes about 10 minutes to make from scratch, serves 4, and needs nothing more than lemons, sugar, water, and tea bags.
Instructions
Make the lemonade: stir the sugar into the fresh lemon juice in a small bowl or jar until it mostly dissolves, then whisk in the 3 cups of cold water until fully combined. Set aside.
Make the tea: bring the 4 cups of water to a boil, remove from heat, and add the tea bags. Steep for 4 to 5 minutes for a strong, unsweetened brew, then remove the bags and let the tea cool to room temperature.
Fill four glasses with ice. Pour equal parts lemonade and tea into each glass, about 3/4 cup of each, and stir gently.
Garnish with a lemon slice and serve immediately.
Questions people actually ask
It's named for the golfer Arnold Palmer, who was known for drinking a mix of iced tea and lemonade. As the story goes, someone overheard him order it by that combination at a restaurant in the late 1960s and asked for the same 'Arnold Palmer drink,' and the name stuck. It's now also a bottled product from several brands.
Yes, but not much. The black tea contributes roughly 15 to 20mg of caffeine per glass, compared to around 95mg in a cup of coffee. If you want it caffeine-free, swap in decaf tea or a caffeine-free herbal tea.
They're the same drink. 'Half and half' is just the more literal, generic name for the same 50/50 lemonade and iced tea combination.
A John Daly is an Arnold Palmer with vodka or whiskey added, named for the golfer known for enjoying one. A Winnie Palmer, named for Arnold Palmer's wife, swaps the unsweetened tea for sweet tea. This recipe is the classic non-alcoholic, unsweetened-tea version.
Make the lemonade and tea separately and refrigerate them in separate pitchers for up to 3 days, combining them fresh over ice right before serving. Mixing them too far ahead can dull the tea's flavor.
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