The non-alcoholic Arnold Palmer is a vintage mocktail that combines a refreshing mix of ice tea and lemonade, perfect for a hot day on the golf course — or simply doing yard work.
The first time I played golf, I didn't get it.
When I was 19, my then-boyfriend took me to the golf course. While he proceeded to look thoughtfully at holes, calculate distances and swing clubs in all-white attire, I spent the day drinking glass after glass of a refreshing cocktail. When he asked me how I liked it, I said the drink was the best part.
That drink was the Arnold Palmer.
The Arnold Palmer mocktail combines black tea and lemonade in a balanced, alcohol-free beverage. It's the perfect drink to freshen up during warm weather days, whether you're at the golf course or not. And for my kids, who think this iced tea lemonade is the best drink ever? The Arnold Palmer mocktail is the drink of the summer.
With just four easy ingredients, there's no reason it shouldn't be yours, too.
History of the Arnold Palmer
The Arnold Palmer drink is named after American legendary golfer Arnold Palmer (1929-2016). In the late 1960s, Palmer reportedly asked a country club bartender for a mixture of iced tea and lemonade after a round of golf. As his popularity grew, so did the drink's fame.
Originally, the drink consisted of equal parts sweet tea and lemonade. Palmer himself preferred a ratio of three parts unsweetened tea to one part lemonade. Over time, various versions have emerged, including our non-alcoholic recipe with unique additions.
Ingredients
- Cold-brewed Earl Grey tea: Smooth base with bergamot notes. You can brew it from 2 tea bags, or from loose leaf tea. Aim for a strong brew. Of course, you can use a commercial iced tea, too.
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice: Provides acidity and authentic lemonade flavor. You can also use premade lemonade, and skip the syrup.
- Simple syrup: Balances the lemon's tartness. For an extra special touch, opt for a lavender simple syrup.
- Grapefruit bitters or orange blossom water: Adds complexity to the flavor profile. Grapefruit bitters have some alcohol in them, while orange blossom water is completely alcohol-free. For more bitter-based recipes try my whiskey sour mocktail and amaretto sour mocktail.
- Ice: Cools the drink without rapid dilution
- Lemon wheel: For garnish.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Directions to make an Arnold Palmer
As you can imagine, it's super easy to make this lemonade and iced tea mocktail. The question is in the tea-to-lemonade, and in our case, you'll need to add a few special touches. But I promise you, you're going to love the end result!
Mix mocktail
Combine cold-brewed Earl Grey tea, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker or a pitcher.
Add flavor
Add 2 dashes of grapefruit bitters or orange blossom water.
Shake
Fill the shaker with ice cubes and shake for 10-15 seconds.
Pour
Place a large ice cube in a tall glass. Strain the mixture into the glass over the ice.
Serve
Garnish with a lemon wheel on the rim, and serve the virgin Arnold Palmer immediately. You can add a mint sprig for a special touch.
Variations
My favorite variation on the Arnold Palmer is to batch it up. Instead of mixing it in a cocktail shaker, I multiply all the ingredients by the number of servings I need, and make it in a big pitcher. It's the perfect pitcher drink to sip on all day in summertime!
My kids also love adding sparkling water or club soda for effervescence. And if I want a different take on a lemonade, I make myself a batch of this strawberry acai lemonade recipe — it never steers me wrong!
Accompanying Dishes
It's perfect for a summer meal of light salads and grilled dishes. Garden salads or citrus-based fruit salads complement the drink's refreshing nature. When I need a quick and easy appetizer to whip up, I love making this Simple White Bean Hummus.
For dessert, serve it with a peach cobbler. It doesn't get more summery that that!
Mocktail to cocktail
To make this drink into a spiked Arnold Palmer cocktail, I recommend adding 1-2 ounces of bourbon or vodka. Bourbon goes well with the black tea, while vodka keeps it neutral.
If you made this recipe, I would be so grateful if you would give it a ⭐ rating and leave a review in the comments! I'd love to see your drink in action as well! Post it on Instagram with the ️#MocktailForest and tag me @MocktailForest!
Easy Arnold Palmer Mocktail
Equipment
Ingredients
- 200 ml cold-brewed Earl Grey tea regular black tea works, too
- 100 ml fresh lemon juice
- 50 ml simple syrup
- 2 dashes grapefruit bitters or orange blossom water
- Ice
- Lemon wheel for garnish
Instructions
- To make homemade iced tea, combine 1 cup water and 2 tea bags and let them brew overnight. This takes out the bitterness from hot-brewing.
- Combine tea, lemon juice, syrup, and bitters (or orange blossom water) in a mixing glass.
- Stir with ice until chilled. Taste and correct sweetness if needed
- Strain into a chilled glass over ice.
- Garnish with lemon wheel.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Expert Notes
Note for Batch Serving (10 servings): Multiply all liquid ingredients by 10. Combine in a pitcher, stir well, and refrigerate. Serve over ice, garnishing each glass individually.
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