I didn’t say much when Arnold Palmer died. Arnold did a lot for the game of golf, and while I never met him, he made an impact on a lot of people and is one of the most well known professional golfers of all time. Guys like Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Lee Trevino played in his era, but Arnold was always around. I mean, the guy hit an honorary tee shot at The Masters for years and hosted the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard, a PGA TOUR event at Bay Hill. The guy was a great ambassador for the game and was probably at work until the day he left this world…
The King might have left this world, but his legacy lives on in more ways than one. The other day I was reading Golfer’s Digest, a free publication available here in North Naples, and found an article on Arnie and The Arnold Palmer, his infamous drink. We all know the drink… Half iced tea and half lemonade. But there is a proper way to make this drink. Before I get to a recipe, ESPN recently released this funny commercial I thought you might enjoy:
The drink is good, refreshing, and you can find bottles of it in any gas station or at your favorite grocery store. But nothing compares to what it tastes like freshly prepared, similar to how Palmer made it in that ESPN commercial. Like I said, a typical Arnold Palmer is half black tea, half lemonade. It’s not hard, but here is how you can prepare your next Arnold Palmer. You will need:
4 cups boiling water
3/4 cup sugar
4 cups cold water
5 regular-size tea bags
teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
Garnish: lemon slices
Preparation
1. Pour boiling water over tea bags, sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl. Stir until sugar is dissolved; cover and steep 5 minutes.
2. Pour mixture through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a large pitcher, discarding tea bags and zest. Stir in 4 cups cold water and next 2 ingredients. Cover and chill 30 minutes to 12 hours. Serve over ice. Garnish, if desired.
The article goes on to say, “To ‘spike’ an Arnold Palmer, just add bourbon.” I’ve not heard it prepared with bourbon, but I have heard it made with vodka… They call that The John Daly!
Again, I didn’t write anything or say much when The King passed, but as a golfer, I will never forget the things he did and continues to do including the greatest game ever played. Arnie is a legend, and this drink will keep him top of mind for the rest of time. Regardless where you are or what you are drinking right now, raise a glass for Arnold Palmer. Cheers!
