Arnold Palmer Recipe

Brew the tea

Bring 4 cups of water just to a boil, then remove from heat and add 4 black tea bags. Steep for 4–6 minutes depending on desired strength (4 minutes for lighter, 6 for stronger). Avoid over-steeping to prevent bitterness.

Remove and discard the tea bags, gently pressing them against the side of the pot with a spoon to extract flavor. Let the brewed tea cool to room temperature (about 10–15 minutes). To speed cooling, transfer to a shallow container or add a few ice cubes and then top up later — account for ice melt when measuring final liquid.

Make the syrup

Combine 0.75 cups granulated sugar and 0.75 cups water in a small saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring frequently until the sugar fully dissolves and the mixture is clear. Do not boil vigorously; once sugar is dissolved, remove from heat. Let cool to room temperature. This yields roughly 1 to 1.25 cups of syrup; measure 1 cup for the lemonade and reserve extra for future use.

Mix the lemonade

In a pitcher, combine 1 cup fresh lemon juice, 1 cup cooled simple syrup, and 2 cups cold water. Stir well and taste. If you want it sweeter, add up to 2 tablespoons of the reserved simple syrup; if stronger lemon flavor is desired, add up to 2 tablespoons more lemon juice. Chill briefly if time allows.

Combine tea and lemonade

For a classic Arnold Palmer, mix equal parts cooled brewed tea and lemonade. In the pitcher, pour the cooled tea and the prepared lemonade together (approximately 4 cups tea + 4 cups lemonade). Stir gently to combine. Taste and adjust sweetness or tartness with reserved syrup or lemon juice as needed.

Serve: Fill each glass with ice (about 1 cup ice per 8–12 oz glass). Pour the Arnold Palmer over the ice. Garnish each glass with a lemon slice and a sprig of mint if desired. If serving from the pitcher, add ice to individual glasses to avoid diluting the whole pitcher.

Storage: Keep any leftover Arnold Palmer chilled in the refrigerator up to 2–3 days. Stir before serving; add fresh ice/garnish when serving.