Last Updated on January 22, 2024 by Karen
This half iced tea and half lemonade or Arnold Palmer drink recipe combines freshly brewed sweet iced tea with refreshing lemonade for the perfect drink to quench your thirst!
One of my favorite drinks to make whenever I get a big bag of fresh lemons is this Arnold Palmer drink recipe, also commonly known as half iced tea and half lemonade. The first time I heard of this drink, I saw it by the name of Arnold Palmer on the drink menu at a restaurant. I was curious enough to try it out and have been loving this refreshing drink ever since! If you love both iced tea and lemonade, and don’t want to pick and choose which one to have, then this drink is for you.
Forget the instant powdered mix or canned drinks, because making a pitcher of this Arnold Palmer drink recipe is simple with just a few ingredients. Serve it at a casual brunch, pool parties, picnics, backyard barbecue, or any time you’re entertaining.
If you loved this drink, try our Sparkling Pineapple Lemonade or Watermelon Coconut Agua Fresca, both of which are perfect for warm weather sipping!
What is the Arnold Palmer drink?
Named after the golf legend, Arnold Palmer is basically a drink made with half iced tea and half lemonade. The story is that one day in the late 1960s, Mr. Palmer was at a golf club, and ordered a drink his wife would make for him at home with half iced tea and half lemonade. A woman overheard it and ordered an “Arnold Palmer” herself. This drink has become a favorite amongst those in the golf community, and a popular bar and restaurant drink around the world ever since.
Lots of beverage companies like Arizona, Lipton Brisk, Honest Tea, Country Time, and Snapple have their version of half iced tea and half lemonade, and this drink recipe tastes very similar. Chick-Fil-A also came out with their version in 2021 called Sunjoy.
Does the Arnold Palmer drink contain alcohol? Can I make Arnold Palmer spiked?
The Arnold Palmer drink is traditionally a non-alcoholic drink, but you can certainly spike it with alcohol if you like. You can add a 1 oz shot of vodka (or sweet tea vodka) per glass, and the resulting drink is called a John Daly cocktail, named after a rival of Mr. Palmer. Bourbon is also a good choice to turn a virgin Arnold Palmer drink into an alcoholic beverage.
What is the proportion of iced tea to lemonade in an Arnold Palmer drink?
Arnold Palmer originally ordered the drink made with three parts unsweetened tea to one part lemonade. It’s a drink with stronger tea flavor than lemon flavor. However, the ratio of iced tea to lemonade has been tweaked to 50/50, as the even blend of the tea and lemonade flavors is more popular with most people. Feel free to adjust the tea to lemonade ratio after trying this drink if you need to.
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this Arnold Palmer drink:
Lemon: Fresh lemons work best in this drink recipe. Sometimes if I can find Meyer lemons, I like to use them, as they are more juicy and taste sweeter. You can also use bottled lemon juice in a pinch.
Tea: You can use your favorite black tea, either tea bags or loose tea leaves. I like to use Lipton’s black tea, and also like English breakfast tea. No matter what tea you use, be sure to brew it at the proper temperature. Black tea is best brewed with 200F water and steeped for 3-5 minutes, depending on how strong you like it. The longer you steep it, the stronger the flavor. Just be careful about leaving the tea leaves in the water for too long, as it will develop bitter flavors.
Sugar: Granulated sugar is used for this recipe. Feel free to adjust the amount of sugar to your taste preference.
How to Make Arnold Palmer drink from scratch:
1. Brew and chill some tea until very cold. Instead of brewing the tea with hot water, you can use the cold brew or sun tea brewing method.
2. Make lemonade.
3. Mix the iced tea and lemonade together in a pitcher. Garnish with a few lemon slices and fresh mint, if you’d like.
What is the Arnold Palmer drink served in?
The Arnold Palmer drink is traditionally served in a tall Collins glass full of ice.
Does Arnold Palmer have caffeine?
If you use regular black tea, there is caffeine in this Arnold Palmer drink recipe. For every 1 cup of brewed black tea, there is about 47 milligrams of caffeine.
Can you make a decaf Arnold Palmer drink?
If you want to make this decaf, you can follow the recipe as is and just substitute with decaffeinated black tea bags. Rooibos tea, an herbal tea, is also good for a low bitterness and caffeine-free option.
Can I make this Arnold Palmer drink ahead of time?
Of course! You can make a large pitcher of this and keep it chilled in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Do you have to use homemade lemonade?
No, you can certainly use storebought bottled lemonade or lemonade made from frozen concentrate.
Can you use a natural sweetener instead of refined sugar?
Yes, instead of using granulated sugar, you can make the lemonade with maple syrup, honey, or even zero calorie sweetener like monkfruit or Splenda to taste.
What are some variations to this Arnold Palmer drink?
– Use sweet tea instead of unsweetened iced tea and combine it with lemonade. This drink is called Winnie Palmer, named after Arnold Palmer’s first wife.
– Try this drink with sparkling lemonade for a sparkling Arnold Palmer drink.
– Use flavored tea such as peach or ginger for a tasty twist.
– Instead of regular lemonade, try it with flavored lemonade, such as strawberry lemonade.
– Add a splash of limoncello (an Italian lemon-flavored liquor) to add extra lemon flavor and a little extra alcohol into the drink.
If you enjoy this refreshing drink, you’ll love these recipes:
Arnold Palmer Drink Recipe
Ingredients
For the iced tea:
- 3 black tea teabags
- 3 cups boiling water
For the lemonade:
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 cups water
For serving:
- Ice
- Lemon slices and fresh mint for garnish
Instructions
To make the iced tea:
- Add tea bags to a glass pitcher with boiling water and let them steep for about five minutes. Remove the tea bags and let the tea cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
To make the lemonade:
- Combine lemon juice, sugar, and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, until the sugar is dissolved. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
- Add the lemonade to the pitcher with the iced tea and stir to combine.
To serve:
- Pour drink into glasses over ice. Garnish with lemon slices and mint if desired.
