Lemonade Iced Tea (also called an Arnold Palmer) is the perfect non-alcoholic summer drink! Sweet yet tart from the perfect combination of lemonade and sweet tea, you'll want this at your next bbq, picnic, or just sip on while you lounge on your back porch!
Even though the Arnie Palmer isn't a southern drink, I had to add some southern hospitality to it.
As y'all know, in the summer months, sweet tea and my homemade lemonade recipe are always stocked in the fridge. And when you're craving a SunJoy from Chick-Fil-A on a Sunday afternoon in this hot weather, that comes in real handy.
This iced tea lemonade is a simple recipe and is loved by the whole family, no matter the variation. To really amp up and elevate this classic drink, we make a delicious lemon simple syrup to boost the lemonade and sweet tea, which can be traded for unsweetened iced tea.
Serve with a slice of lemon and it's the perfect drink to sip on your porch all summer long.
What is an Arnold Palmer drink?
The classic Arnold Palmer is a mix of iced tea and half lemonade (also called a half & half) is named after legendary professional golfer Arnold Palmer, known for both his golfing skills and golf course design here in the United States.
When he was at the Latrobe Country club in palm springs on a hot summer day in the late 1960s, he told the waitress to make a him a mocktail of part lemonade and part iced tea. A woman overhead and told her waitress that she'll be having 'that Arnold Palmer drink'. And because he was such a celebrity, that order spread like wildfire.
And in my opinion, that was a strategic marketing move. Because according to a golf club in Florida, Mr. Palmer never had to order his own drink; they all had it prepared for him and served it without him needing to ask.
Now the Arnold Palmer Company and Arizona Beverage Company sell the drink and numerous variations in retail. Like I said, smart marketing!
Equipment
A small saucepan - I use this for making the simple syrup.
A large pot - this is where you boil your water for your sweet tea.
Microplane - the best thing to use to get the zest off citrus without digging into the bitter white pith.
Juicer - love this one so, so much. It makes juicing citrus a breeze.
Pitcher - gotta have one!
Ingredients
The original recipe calls for 3 parts unsweetened tea and 1 part fresh lemonade. But in these parts we drink Southern Arnold Palmers, made with sweet iced tea, instead. Simple ingredients, delicious results.
How to Make Iced Tea
Black tea bags - Orange pekoe is easy to find at your local grocery store. This is regular black tea, 'orange pekoe' is just the quality grade, not the flavor.
Boiling hot water.
Granulated sugar - This can just be an unsweetened black tea, since the lemon simple syrup is so sweet.
Lemonade Concentrate
Lemon Simple Syrup - Very easy to make, don't fret! Grab some lemon peels, sugar, and water. That's all.
Lemon Juice.
Cold Water.
How to Make a Pitcher of Iced Tea Lemonade
Step 1 | Make the lemon simple syrup in a small saucepan. Dissolve the sugar in two cups of water and simmer until the syrup turns yellow from the lemon peels.
Step 2 | Boil water for the tea, then discard tea bags and add a pinch of baking soda. Dissolve a cup of sugar into the hot tea. Let everything cool down before moving on!
Step 3 | Place lemon wheels, lemon slices, and ice cubes into a large heatproof pitcher. Then add the sweet tea, lemon syrup, cold water, and the juice of 4-5 lemons to the pitcher. Stir and chill!
Step 4 | Serve with ice with more lemon slices and fresh mint leaves.
Variations
Strawberry Arnold Palmer. A fave of mine! Add strawberry simple syrup or use strawberry lemonade. This is also called a Pink Palmer.
John Daly Drink - Named after Arnold Palmer's professional rival, the John Daly is the Arnold Palmer drink with a shot of vodka added. It's also called a Spiked Arnold Palmer.
Captain Palmer - Add a shot of dark rum to your drink and you have a Captain Palmer!
Southern Arnold Palmer Spiked - This is how my husband likes his drink. It's an alcoholic version using sweet tea and add a shot of bourbon!
Half & Half - This is the most popular way of drinking an Arnold Palmer, it's also called a SunJoy at Chick-Fil-A. Equal parts lemonade and iced tea!
Try adding pineapple juice for a tropical refreshing beverage!
Pro Tips
Baking Soda! Sometimes the best iced tea needs a little help. If you left your tea bags in for too long, the tannins will make your tea taste off, bitter, metallic, even. A pinch of baking soda will take care of that in a pinch!
You could use store-bought lemonade and boost it with the lemon simple syrup.
For a super quick sweet tea lemonade recipe, grab a good sweet tea from the grocery stores near you. You could use a premade brand like Gold Peak or in-house...Publix makes amazing sweet tea, I'm just sayin'!
You can also serve the tea and lemonade separately, making each blend of iced tea to lemonade up to the person enjoying their Arnold Palmer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sun tea is the way our grandmamas made tea, in big mason jars in the backyard. But this can be dangerous, letting bacteria thrive if you're not careful. So I don't recommend it.
SunJoy is half lemonade and half iced tea, so it's a variation of the Arnold Palmer.
More Summer Drinks
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📖 Recipe
Lemonade Iced Tea (Arnold Palmer Drink)
Made with half lemonade, half sweet tea, the Arnold Palmer is a non-alcoholic beverage that is so refreshing on a hot day!
Ingredients
Lemonade Iced Tea
- 3 family-sized black tea bags
- 5 cups water
- 1 cup granulated sugar, optional
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice
Lemon Simple Syrup
- Peels of 2 lemons, no pith
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup cold water
Instructions
Make the Iced Tea
- Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Once at a boil, turn the heat off and add the black tea bags. Steep for 10 minutes, then remove the tea bags.
- Add cup of granulated sugar, if using, and stir until it's dissolved completely. Let cool to room temperature.
Make Lemon Simple Syrup
- Add lemon peels, granulated sugar, and cold water into a medium saucepan over medium high heat.
- Bring the ingredients to a boil, then turn the heat to medium once the sugar is completely dissolved. Let simmer for 10 minutes, then strain out the lemon peels.
Make the Arnold Palmer
- Add ice and lemon wheels to a large pitcher, then add the lemon juice, brewed tea, and lemon simple syrup to the pitcher.
- Stir well with a long spoon, serve chilled.
Notes
Variations
Strawberry Arnold Palmer. A fave of mine! Add strawberry simple syrup or use strawberry lemonade. This is also called a Pink Palmer.
John Daly Drink. Named after Arnold Palmer's professional rival, the John Daly is the Arnold Palmer drink with a shot of vodka added. It's also called a Spiked Arnold Palmer.
Captain Palmer. Add a shot of dark rum to your drink and you have a Captain Palmer!
Southern Spiked. This is how my husband likes his drink. Use sweet tea and add a shot of bourbon!
Half & Half. This is the most popular way of drinking an Arnold Palmer, it's also called a SunJoy at Chick-Fil-A. Half lemonade, half iced tea!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 276Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 11mgCarbohydrates: 72gFiber: 1gSugar: 68gProtein: 0g
All nutrition facts are estimations. Please see a physician for any health-related inquiries.
Eden Westbrook is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind Sweet Tea and Thyme. A classically trained chef, Eden has inspired home cooks into the kitchen with cultural comfort foods, easy family-friendly eats and sweets, and glorious spreads for date night and entertaining since 2015.
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