Arnold Palmer
An Arnold Palmer is 135ml of cold, unsweetened black tea and 45ml of still, cloudy lemonade, three parts to one, built over ice in a highball and stirred once, with a lemon wheel. It is alcohol-free. The tea carries some caffeine. It is named for the golfer Arnold Palmer; his official site says that after a hot day on the course he used to ask his wife Winnie to make him an iced tea with lemonade in it. AriZona’s page quotes him on how the name began: he asked for iced tea with some lemonade in it, and a lady across the aisle said she would have an Arnold Palmer. Golf Monthly says Palmer preferred one part lemonade to three parts iced tea, while the AriZona Beverage Company’s drink is half tea and half lemonade by AriZona’s own account, which is sweeter. At three to one the tea leads, and its tannin keeps the finish dry.
Glassware: Highball Glass
Garnish: Lemon wheel
Ingredients
135ml
Unsweetened, brewed a little lighter than for a hot cup and cooled fast. A breakfast blend suits it; a smoky tea does not. It contains caffeine.
45ml
Cloudy and sharp, rather than the fizzy sweet kind. It brings all the sugar, and the lemon acid that answers the tea’s tannin.
Instructions
Brew black tea a little lighter than for a hot cup, then cool it quickly and chill it.
Fill a highball glass with ice.
Add 135ml of the cold tea.
Top with 45ml of still lemonade and stir once.
Garnish with a lemon wheel.
Our version
The ratio Golf Monthly says Palmer preferred, three parts iced tea to one part lemonade. Ours measures it as 135ml of tea and 45ml of still, cloudy lemonade over ice.
Source: our own specification. Last checked 10 October 2026.
Expert Tip
Brew it lighter and cool it fast. Make the tea a little weaker than for a hot cup, then get it cold quickly over ice or in the fridge. Tea left to stew turns bitter, and an over-steeped brew clouds as it chills. Choose the lemonade with care. British lemonade is usually fizzy and sweet; this drink wants the still, cloudy kind with real sharpness. Fresh lemon juice sweetened with a little sugar syrup to taste does the same job. Leave the tea unsweetened, as the lemonade brings all the sugar the drink needs.
Behind the Arnold Palmer
Flavour Profile
Palm Springs, Late 1960s
Arnold Palmer’s official site says that after a hot day on the course Palmer used to ask his wife Winnie to make him an iced tea with lemonade in it. AriZona’s page quotes him on the name: he asked for iced tea with some lemonade in it, and a lady across the aisle said she would have an Arnold Palmer.
Three to One
Golf Monthly says Palmer preferred one part lemonade to three parts iced tea. The tea’s tannin is drying and slightly bitter; the lemonade brings sugar and acid. At three to one the sugar rounds the tannin and the finish stays dry.
At half and half, the way the Arizona Beverage Company’s bottled version pours it, the sugar takes over and the tannin is buried. It is a sweeter drink, and a different one.
The Tea
A plain breakfast blend suits it. The drink wants tannin and body rather than delicacy, so a fine single-estate tea is wasted and a smoky lapsang fights the lemon.
Keep the steep short and cool the tea fast. Over-steeped tea is bitter and clouds as it chills, which is why it looks murky by the time it reaches the glass.
Why It Works Without Alcohol
Many alcohol-free drinks are simply sweet, with nothing to push against. Here the tannin does the job that bitterness and alcohol do in a cocktail: it gives the palate something astringent, so the sugar reads as balance and the finish clears.
Tea and Lemonade Three Ways
The Arnold Palmer, the half-and-half pour and the John Daly
Arnold Palmer
- Tea
- 135ml
- Lemonade
- 45ml
- Spirit
- None
- Alcohol
- None
Half and half
- Tea
- 90ml
- Lemonade
- 90ml
- Spirit
- None
- Alcohol
- None
John Daly
- Tea
- 135ml
- Lemonade
- 45ml
- Spirit
- 45ml vodka
- Alcohol
- Contains alcohol
| Drink | Tea | Lemonade | Spirit | Alcohol |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arnold Palmer | 135ml | 45ml | None | None |
| Half and half | 90ml | 90ml | None | None |
| John Daly | 135ml | 45ml | 45ml vodka | Contains alcohol |
How to Serve It
Over plenty of ice in a highball with a lemon wheel, refilled as needed on a warm afternoon. It suits anyone not drinking: no alcohol, and only the caffeine of a little tea.
With 45ml of vodka it becomes a John Daly.
Make it at home
More to explore
Frequently Asked Questions
What is in an Arnold Palmer?
What is the correct Arnold Palmer ratio?
Did Arnold Palmer really invent it?
Is an Arnold Palmer alcohol-free?
Is there caffeine in an Arnold Palmer?
What is it with alcohol added?
Can I make a jug of Arnold Palmer?
Sources.
Correct as of 19 October 2026.
- Arnold Palmer (official site), “#46: Cold glass (AP Beverage)” (the golfer’s own site: Palmer used to ask his wife Winnie to make him an iced tea with lemonade after a hot day on the course; AriZona’s Half & Half).
- NHS, “Foods to avoid in pregnancy” (official page: about 75mg of caffeine in a cup of tea).
- AriZona Beverages, “AriZona & Arnold Palmer: How AriZona Popularized the Iconic Drink” (maker’s page: the half tea, half lemonade combination; Palmer quoted on the name (“a lady across the aisle said, I’ll have an Arnold Palmer”)).
- Golf Monthly, “What Is The Arnold Palmer Drink?” (magazine feature: Palmer preferred one part lemonade to three parts iced tea; many recipes are half and half; the spiked version with vodka is sometimes called a John Daly).
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