Arnold Palmer

Name: Arnold Palmer
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 bags (8 g) black tea bags, regular-size, tags kept out of the water; 2 cups (480 ml) water, freshly boiled; 1 cup (240 ml) cold water, straight from the tap or filter; ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar; ½ cup (120 ml) water, for dissolving the sugar; 1 cup (240 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about 5–6 medium lemons, strained to remove seeds and most pulp; 2 cups (480 ml) cold water; 1 medium (100 g) lemon, cut into 8 thin rounds; 4 cups (500 g) ice cubes

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

The classic half-and-half of freshly brewed black iced tea and tart homemade lemonade. It's crisp, refreshing and not too sweet, and it's easy to make in a pitcher for a crowd.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 5 min
Wait: 2 hr 5 min
Total: 2 hr 30 min
Makes: 4 tall glasses (about 12 oz / 355 ml each, plus ice), from about 6½ cups (1.5 L) of tea and lemonade

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the iced tea
4 bags (8 g) black tea bags, regular-size, tags kept out of the water
2 cups (480 ml) water, freshly boiled
1 cup (240 ml) cold water, straight from the tap or filter
For the lemonade
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
½ cup (120 ml) water, for dissolving the sugar
1 cup (240 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about 5–6 medium lemons, strained to remove seeds and most pulp
2 cups (480 ml) cold water
To serve
1 medium (100 g) lemon, cut into 8 thin rounds
4 cups (500 g) ice cubes

Equipment (10)

Small saucepan (1-quart / 1 L)
Kettle or second saucepan for boiling water
Heatproof pitcher or large measuring jug (at least 1½ quarts / 1.5 L) for the tea
2-quart (2 L) pitcher for the lemonade
Citrus juicer or hand reamer
Fine-mesh strainer
Measuring cups and spoons
4 tall glasses (12–14 oz / 350–400 ml)
Long spoon for stirring
Sharp knife and cutting board

Steps

Before you start

Plan ahead: both the tea and the lemonade need about 2 hours in the fridge to get properly cold, so they don't melt the ice and dilute the drink.
Bring the lemons to room temperature and roll them firmly on the counter first. They give far more juice this way.
Have a heatproof pitcher (at least 1½ quarts / 1.5 L) for the tea and a 2-quart (2 L) pitcher for the lemonade ready.
Use a plain black tea such as Ceylon, English breakfast or orange pekoe. Flavored teas clash with the lemon.

1
Make the sugar syrup
- Combine the sugar and ½ cup (120 ml) water in a small saucepan.
- Set over medium heat and stir constantly for about 2 minutes, just until every sugar crystal has dissolved.
- Remove from the heat and let it sit while you juice the lemons.
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Ready when: The liquid is completely clear with no visible grains of sugar at the bottom of the pan.
Tip: Don't let it boil hard. You only need to dissolve the sugar, and boiling reduces the liquid and makes the lemonade sweeter than intended.
2
Juice the lemons
- Roll each lemon firmly under your palm on the counter for 10 seconds, then halve and juice them.
- Pour the juice through a fine-mesh strainer into a measuring cup until you have exactly 1 cup (240 ml), then pour it into the 2-quart (2 L) pitcher.
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Ready when: You have 1 cup (240 ml) of strained juice, free of seeds.
Tip: Keep 1 extra lemon aside for the garnish. Don't juice it.
3
Steep the tea
- Bring 2 cups (480 ml) of water to a full boil in a kettle or saucepan, which takes about 3 minutes.
- Place the tea bags in the heatproof pitcher, pour the boiling water over them and let steep for exactly 5 minutes.
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Ready when: The tea is a deep, dark amber-brown color.
Tip: Set a timer. Steeping longer than 5 minutes extracts bitter tannins that the lemon won't hide.
4
Remove bags and dilute
- Lift out the tea bags with a spoon and discard them without squeezing, since squeezing releases bitterness.
- Stir in 1 cup (240 ml) of cold water.
- This brings the strong tea to drinking strength and starts to cool it.
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Ready when: You have about 3 cups (720 ml) of clear, amber tea.
5
Mix the lemonade
- Pour the sugar syrup into the pitcher with the lemon juice.
- Add 2 cups (480 ml) of cold water and stir well.
- Taste it: it should be pleasantly tart and a little sweeter than you'd want to drink alone, as the tea will balance it.
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Ready when: The lemonade is evenly mixed, pale yellow and tastes bright and balanced.
Tip: If it's too tart, stir in 1 tablespoon of sugar dissolved in a splash of warm water.
6
Chill both pitchers
- Let the tea cool at room temperature for 15 minutes, then cover the tea and the lemonade separately and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until thoroughly cold.
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Ready when: Both pitchers feel fridge-cold to the touch.
Tip: Cooling the tea a little before refrigerating helps keep it from turning cloudy.
7
Slice the garnish
- Cut the reserved lemon crosswise into 8 thin rounds, about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick.
- Cut a small slit from the center of each round to the edge so it can sit on the rim of a glass.
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Ready when: You have 8 even slices.
8
Assemble and serve
- Fill each of 4 tall glasses with 1 cup (about 125 g) of ice.
- Pour about ¾ cup (180 ml) of tea into each glass, then top with about ¾ cup (180 ml) of lemonade.
- Stir gently for 5 seconds and garnish each with 2 lemon slices.
- Serve right away.
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Ready when: The drink is evenly golden and the glass is frosty.
Tip: Adjust the ratio to taste: more tea for a less sweet drink, or more lemonade for a sweeter one.

Good to know

Tips

Steep the tea for no longer than 5 minutes. Bitter tea is the most common problem with this drink.
Make the lemonade a little sweeter than you'd drink on its own, since the unsweetened tea will tone it down.
For a sparkling version, replace the lemonade's cold water with chilled club soda and add it just before serving.
Cloudy tea is harmless, but you can avoid it by letting the tea cool to room temperature before refrigerating.

Make ahead

"The tea and lemonade can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored separately in covered containers in the fridge. Combine over ice just before serving."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: serve within 2 hours of pouring over ice. Fridge: keep the tea and lemonade separately, covered, for up to 3 days, or up to 2 days once combined. Freezer: freeze leftover lemonade or the combined drink in ice cube trays for up to 2 months and use the cubes to chill the next glass without watering it down. No reheating needed. Stir before pouring, as the lemon settles."

Substitutions

granulated sugar → honey or agave syrup, 6 tablespoons (about 120 ml). Stir it into the hot water as in step 1. It adds a slight floral flavor.
black tea bags → 4 teaspoons (8 g) loose-leaf black tea. Strain the tea through a fine-mesh strainer after steeping instead of lifting out bags.
fresh lemon juice → 1 cup (240 ml) bottled lemon juice. Works in a pinch, but fresh gives a brighter flavor. Reduce the sugar slightly if the bottled juice is sweetened.
ice cubes → frozen lemonade or tea cubes. Keeps the drink cold without diluting it.