Half Lemonade Half Tea

Refreshing and simple to make, Half Lemonade Half Tea or an "Arnold Palmer" is a delicious summer beverage that is non alcoholic and easy to make homemade.

What's an Arnold Palmer? This beverage was created by professional golfer Arnold Palmer, who often ordered it on and off the course. Also referred to as a "half and half," Palmer himself preferred a 3 parts tea to 1 part lemonade version.

Arnold Palmer is one of our family's favorite drinks during the summer months and I think a lot of people would agree! It’s refreshing. It’s sweet, but not overly so. It’s easy to make economically with the best of ingredients.

While you can buy this drink premade at the store, it's very simple to make it at home. You may even have all the ingredients in our cabinet and fridge or pantry! The result is delicious. Sweet, but not too sweet, with a strong black tea flavor and freshness from the lemon.

Serve this classic summer drink alongside a Fajita Taco Salad or Lemon Tarragon Chicken Salad.

For another tea recipe, here's How to Make Sun Tea!

Ingredient Notes

• water
• sugar
• lemon juice
• ice
• black tea bags

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredient measurements.

How to make an arnold palmer

• Begin by pouring one tea kettle full of boiling water over 4 black tea bags and let steep for 10 minutes. Then dispose of the bags. 
• Heat ½ cup of sugar and ½ cup of water until the water dissolves. Let cool for 10 minutes. This makes a simple syrup, like you would find in this Demerara Syrup recipe.
• Juice enough lemons for 1 cup of juice (and zest one of the lemons)
• Pour steeped tea into pitcher, along with sugar syrup and stir to combine. Then add in lemon juice and zest. 
• Add 4 cups of ice and stir. Serve in a tall glass. 

Recipe Tip

If you like things sweeter, feel free to increase the sugar by a half a cup.

Can you buy an Arnold Palmer drink at the store?

Certainly, there are lots of varieties sold, with various sweetness levels, flavors, etc. We sometimes buy the Paul Newman brand at the store, which is delicious. Making it homemade however, is super easy and you control the sweetness and flavor to be exactly how you like it!

Does an arnold palmer drink have alcohol?

Traditionally no. Some versions are spiked, but a classic arnold palmer drink is just half tea, half lemonade. An alcoholic version would be called a "John Daly" and it a half tea/lemonade with vodka. Bourbon is another popular option.

More Drink Recipes

• Adrenal Cocktail Recipe
• Lemon Blueberry Mocktail with Kombucha
• Casamigos Margarita
• Blueberry Strawberry Banana Smoothie

If you tried this Half Tea Half Lemonade Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love to hear from you.