Arnold Palmer

noun

Ar·​nold Palm·​er ˈär-nᵊld-ˈpä-mər 

-ˈpäl-mər

: a cold beverage of iced tea mixed with lemonade

There are many shandies on the market, but not all are worth your time. Some are too sweet and lack any beer flavor. In this case, you might as well just drink an Arnold Palmer.

—Chris Osburn

"The idea for the combination struck me after a round of golf in the [California] desert in the early '60s," [Arnold] Palmer says. "I wanted something that would be refreshing and realized that lemonade would be a natural complement to iced tea, since most people add a lemon wedge to their tea." Word of this "invention" got around. "When I first started ordering the combination in Palm Springs," he explains, "a sharp waitress caught on that it was my regular drink after a round of golf and started calling it an Arnold Palmer. I guess the patrons started asking for it at restaurants, which helped the name spread."

—Ellen Ficklen

Examples of Arnold Palmer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The five events were the 2023 Honda Classic, the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational, the 2023 Players Championship, the 2023 Valspar Championship and the 2024 Genesis Open. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 10 Sep. 2024

The Travelers crown marks Scheffler’s sixth win of the year, with titles at The Memorial, RBC Heritage, The Masters, Players Championship and the Arnold Palmer invitational. —Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 23 June 2024

Go for the views, stay for the 27-hole golf course designed by Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay, art tours and fitness classes, and proximity to the best of Honolulu. —Dan Koday, Travel + Leisure, 1 Sep. 2024

The Arnold Palmer suite was occupied by Arnold himself during a visit to the hotel – those who stay there get an Arnold Palmer kit to create a special version of the drink recipe. —Katie Kelly Bell, Forbes, 16 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

after Arnold Palmer †2016, American professional golfer, who is alleged to have favored the drink

First Known Use

1991, in the meaning defined above