The Arnold Palmer I Make All Summer Long
I didn’t grow up watching golf, so the first time someone handed me an Arnold Palmer drink recipe, I had no idea it was named after a person. I just knew it tasted better than plain iced tea and better than plain lemonade, and I wanted to know why. Turns out the answer is all in the ratio.
This is the version I make all summer — real brewed tea, real lemonade, and a ratio that actually balances instead of tasting like watered-down tea with a splash of citrus. If you searched for a recipe for arnold palmer drink or a recipe for an arnold palmer drink specifically, this drink recipe arnold palmer fans keep coming back to is the one below.
Quick Summary
An Arnold Palmer drink recipe is simply unsweetened iced tea and lemonade combined over ice — no special equipment, no cooking, just two drinks poured together in the right ratio. What’s an Arnold Palmer made of, exactly? Just those two ingredients. Below: the original ratio versus the common half and half version, a Winnie Palmer variation with sweet tea, and how to scale it for a crowd.
Recipe Snapshot
| Prep Time | Servings | Calories |
| 5 minutes | 1 | ~40 kcal |
Ingredients
- 4 oz unsweetened brewed black tea, chilled
- 4 oz fresh lemonade, chilled
- Ice
- Lemon slice, for garnish (optional)
How to Make an Arnold Palmer (Arnold Palmer Tea Recipe)
1. Fill a tall glass with ice.
2. Pour in the tea and lemonade. Equal parts, straight over the ice.
3. Stir once and garnish with a lemon slice. Serve immediately.
What Is in an Arnold Palmer Drink?
Just tea and lemonade — that’s the whole recipe arnold palmer drinkers actually want, and the reason it’s stayed a summer classic for decades: nothing complicated, nothing that needs a shopping trip. Whether you call it lemonade iced tea, iced tea with lemonade, or a half and half drink, all the arnold palmer drink recipes out there come back to this same combination.
Where Did the Arnold Palmer Get Its Name?
Origin of the Arnold Palmer drink traces back to the golfer himself in the 1960s, who was known for ordering a glass of half tea, half lemonade at clubhouses. A woman reportedly overheard his order and asked for “that Arnold Palmer drink” at a bar, and the name stuck. It’s also been called a half and half, a fifty-fifty, and, less flatteringly, Swamp Water.
Arnold Palmer Half and Half vs. Original Ratio
Depends who you ask — Palmer’s own order and the version most people actually make today aren’t quite the same. This arnold palmer beverage recipe works with either ratio; arnold palmer half half (equal parts) is simply the more common of the two today.
| Version | Ratio | Note |
| Original (Palmer’s order) | 3 parts tea, 1 part lemonade | Stronger tea flavor, less sweet |
| Half and Half | 1 part tea, 1 part lemonade | The most common version today |
| Winnie Palmer | 1 part sweet tea, 1 part lemonade | Named for Palmer’s wife, sweeter overall |
Fresh-Brewed vs. Store-Bought Tea and Lemonade
| Fresh-Brewed | Store-Bought | |
| Flavor | Brighter, no preservative aftertaste | Convenient, slightly flatter |
| Time | Needs to steep and chill | Ready to pour |
| Best for | A single glass or a planned pitcher | Last-minute or a big batch |
Why Does My Arnold Palmer Taste Watered Down or Too Bitter?
Watered down almost always means the ice melted before you drank it — don’t add ice to a pitcher you’re not serving right away, and pour over fresh ice each time instead.
Too bitter usually means the tea over-steeped. Pull the tea bags at 5 minutes for unsweetened black tea; leaving them longer pulls out tannins that no amount of lemonade can fully balance.
Winnie Palmer (Sweet Tea Version)
Swap the unsweetened tea for sweet tea and keep the lemonade the same. It’s named for Arnold Palmer’s wife, Winnie, and it’s the version to reach for if you have a sweet tooth — arnold palmer sweet tea, essentially, without changing anything else about the method.
Arnold Palmer for a Crowd
This iced tea and lemonade recipe scales up easily. Keep the tea and lemonade separate and cold, then combine in a pitcher right before serving.
| Servings | Tea | Lemonade |
| 1 glass | 4 oz | 4 oz |
| 1 pitcher (8 servings) | 4 cups | 4 cups |
| 1 gallon (16 servings) | 8 cups | 8 cups |
Don’t add ice to the pitcher until you’re ready to serve — it’ll dilute the whole batch as it melts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s an Arnold Palmer?
An Arnold Palmer is a combination of unsweetened iced tea and lemonade, named for the golfer who was known for ordering it. It’s also called a half and half.
What is a Arnold Palmer made of?
Just two ingredients — unsweetened brewed tea and lemonade — mixed together over ice, usually in equal parts.
How do you make an Arnold Palmer?
Fill a glass with ice, pour in equal parts chilled unsweetened tea and lemonade, stir, and garnish with a lemon slice.
What is an Arnold Palmer cocktail?
On its own, an Arnold Palmer cocktail recipe has no alcohol at all — it’s simply tea and lemonade. Some bars add a spirit to make an alcoholic version, but that’s a different drink entirely from the classic recipe here.
Is half tea half lemonade the same as an Arnold Palmer?
Yes — half tea half lemonade is the most common modern ratio for an Arnold Palmer, even though Palmer’s own original order leaned more toward tea.
Related Recipes
Arnold Palmer Drink Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Fill a tall glass with ice
- Pour in equal parts tea and lemonade
- Stir once and garnish with a lemon slice.
Notes
Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and reflects RecipeValley’s own testing. It is not medical, nutritional, or legal advice. If you have specific health or dietary concerns, please consult a doctor or registered dietitian.
About the Author
Jonas Mitchell is a home baker and recipe developer at RecipeValley, focused on approachable, kitchen-tested desserts and everyday recipes. He does not hold a clinical nutrition credential, and his content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for advice from a doctor or registered dietitian.
