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, who mixed it for himself. In a 2012 ESPN documentary he said the name spread after a lunch in Palm Springs in the late 1960s, when a woman heard him order it and asked for “that Arnold Palmer drink” too. Three to one was his own ratio, made with unsweetened tea. Many canned and bar versions pour it half and half, 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
Palmer’s own ratio, three parts unsweetened black tea to one part lemonade, as he described it. 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. Palmer took it that way, and the lemonade brings all the sugar the drink needs.
Behind the Arnold Palmer
Flavour Profile
Palm Springs, Late 1960s
Palmer mixed iced tea and lemonade for himself. In a 2012 ESPN documentary he said the name spread after a lunch in Palm Springs in the late 1960s: he had spent the day designing a golf course, ordered his drink, and a woman nearby asked for “that Arnold Palmer drink” too.
Three to One
Palmer took three parts unsweetened tea to one part lemonade. 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 canned version from Arizona and many bars pour 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?
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Where this one sits
Recipe by Jerry Can Spirits · Updated 12 October 2026