How Arnold Palmer Created One Of The Most Iconic Drink Combinations In The World

Arnold Palmer is a name many use frequently when ordering a refreshing beverage, but there are some who are less familiar with the man behind the iconic drink. A golf legend, Arnold Palmer won dozens of professional tournaments in his career, seven of which were the sport's prestigious major championships, including four wins at the Masters Tournament. In the 1960s, however, he made another contribution to the world when he placed a seemingly simple order for a glass of iced tea with lemonade.

As the legend goes, one day In Palm Springs, California, Palmer requested the combination. When a woman overheard his request, she decided to try it for herself. Turns out that Palmer wasn't the only one who thought the drink was delicious. Though it's changed over the years, and the perfect ratio of lemonade to tea can be different for everyone, Palmer's dedicated fan base (and fans of the drink itself) rapidly solidified the beverage's place in and out of the golf world by continuing to order it everywhere they went. Nowadays, if you haven't tried this secret to exceptional sweet tea, you don't need to go to a golf course to find it. It's likely available at your local convenience store.

In 2001, Arnold Palmer Enterprises and AriZona Beverage Company joined forces to produce the famed Arnold Palmer iced tea and lemonade mixture on a commercial level. In the years since, other beverage companies like Liquid Death have released their own variations of the iconic combination, though notably without the partnership from Arnold Palmer Enterprises.

The drink itself wasn't exactly invented by Palmer — just widely popularized. Adding lemonade originally started as a way to give sweet tea a southern boost, and it's likely Palmer enjoyed it while attending college at Wake Forest College in North Carolina from 1947 to 1950. The drink was just one way that flavor combinations were used to create something delicious and refreshing for people to enjoy while enduring the heat and humidity of the South. While the drink existed long before Palmer discovered it, his love for it ensured its popularity and everlasting impact on American history.