How to Make an Arnold Palmer

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Arnold Palmer is also known as the layered drink. The Arnold Palmer is a drink made of lemonade and iced tea. If made correctly, this drink is not only very tasty but is also most presentable. If you're the server at a restaurant and a customer orders this drink, prepared correctly it can really help boost your tip and impress the customer.

Ingredients

Lemonade

1 cup (225 grams) sugar
1 cup (240 milliliters) water
1 cup (240 milliliters) lemon juice (about 4 to 5 lemons)
4 cups (950 milliliters) cold water

Iced Tea

6 cups (1.4 liters) water
3 to 4 black tea bags

Makes 12 servings

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Preparing the Lemonade

1
Boil 1 cup (225 grams) of sugar and 1 cup (240 milliliters) of water in a small pot. Stir the sugar water often to keep the sugar from scorching. This will make your simple syrup. You are boiling the water and sugar, because sugar does not mix well into cold water.
- If you already have your lemonade, click here to learn how to put the drink together.
2
Squeeze the juice from enough lemons to fill 1 cup (240 milliliters). This will take about 4 to 5 lemons. Rinse the lemons well, then cut them in half. Squeeze them using a lemon juicer, and discard the pulp and seeds.

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3
Pour the lemon juice into a large pitcher. Make sure that the pitcher is large enough to hold 6 cups (1.4 liters) of liquid.
4
Add 4 cups (950 milliliters) of cold water. Give the water a gentle stir to help mix in the lemon juice.
5
Stir in enough of the sugar-water until you get your desired sweetness. How much you use is up to you. Some people like their lemonade very sweet, while others prefer something more tart. You likely won't use all of the sugar-water.
- If you have any of the sugar-water left over, store it in the fridge, and use it to sweeten your drinks and desserts within a few days.
6
Let the lemonade reach room temperature. The sugar-water will likely still be very hot and will make your lemonade warm. You will need to wait for the lemonade to reach room temperature before you move on. If you are in a hurry, add 2 to 3 handfuls of ice into the pitcher.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Preparing the Iced Tea

1
Boil 6 cups (1.4 liters) of water in a large pot. Set a large pot on the stove, and fill it with 6 cups (1.4 liters) of water. Turn the heat to high, and wait for the water to boil.
- If you already have your iced tea, click here to learn how to put the drink together.
2
Take the pot off the stove, and add 3 to 4 bags of black tea. If you don't like black tea, you can make a less traditional Arnold Palmer, and another type of tea (such as green or mint) instead.
3
Let the tea steep, covered, for 5 minutes. Place a lid on the pot, and leave it some place where it won't get disturbed.
4
Take the tea bags out after 5 minutes, then discard them. Don't leave the tea bags in the water for longer than 5 minutes, or the tea will turn bitter.
5
Pour the tea into a large pitcher and let it cool down to room temperature. Don't use the same pitcher as the tea; you will be pouring the drinks separately. If you are in a hurry, you can add 2 to 3 handfuls of ice. Don't add any more, or you will dilute the flavor too much.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Putting the Arnold Palmer Together

1
Get a tall, narrow glass. The Arnold Palmer is typically served in a Collin's glass, but any type of tall glass will do.
2
Fill the glass half-way with ice. For a colder drink, fill it 2/3 of the way with ice.
3
Fill the glass partway with lemonade. For a traditional Arnold Palmer, fill it only ¼ of the way with lemonade. For a sweeter Arnold Palmer, fill it ½ of the way with lemonade.^{[1]
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- Arnold Palmer has been said to prefer his drink to be 70 percent iced tea, and 30 percent lemonade.^{[2]
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4
Fill the rest of the glass with the tea. Do not stir the two liquids together. The layering is part of the presentation. Who ever is drinking the Arnold Palmer can do the stirring him or herself, if they so desire.
5
Garnish with a few mint leaves or a lemon wedge, if desired. For a more girlish drink, use a maraschino cherry instead.
6
Serve.