The iconic 'Arnold Palmer' drink has a story as refreshing as the beverage itself. It began not in a boardroom, but on a hot day at home with his wife, Winnie. A simple kitchen experiment would eventually get its famous name from a chance encounter in a restaurant.

Many years ago, during a conversation with WFTV Channel Nine’s Greg Warmoth, Palmer recalled the story. “It started when, one job I was doing on a golf course and building the golf course, and it was a hot day,” he said. “And my wife, Winnie, I went home and I said, ‘I’ve had iced tea and I love it.’ I said,'"

This was routine. As she would often do, his late wife Winnie left out the iced tea she had made for Palmer. This time, however, he had a different idea.

But let’s do something different.’”And she said, ‘What do you want to do?’ And I said, ‘Well, let’s put some iced tea and then let’s top it off with a little lemonade and mix it up and make a drink.’ Well, that’s how it started at home.”

When he was in Palm Springs, building a golf course, he entered a restaurant and ordered the same mixture to ward off the heat. But a woman dining in the restaurant heard the order and asked for the same. 

“A lady in the restaurant heard me and she called to the waitress, and she says, ‘I want a Palmer,” Palmer told WFTV Channel Nine. “That’s where it started. And that made me think about it. So, I talked to some people and here we are in business.” 

Now, in every grocery store and pro store, Arnold Palmers are being sold. And it’s not just the drink in the bottles. Arizona also has a powdered mix called Half & Half (iced tea lemonade mix). By 2008, Arnold Palmer Iced Tea began circling around the country in every size. 

But how did the legend look at the beverage’s business aspect?

Arnold Palmer Reflected on the Drink as a Businessman

“I had no idea that it was going to be as big as it is,” he confirmed. “Arizona has helped us really put this on the market and full time. And it works. People like it.” 

But the mix isn’t always half and half. Palmer tended to pour more iced tea and topped it off with half of the lemonade. And while he couldn’t do the exact mix like Arizona does, Palmer looked at the prospect as a businessman. 

Reflecting on that, he told Warmoth, “I’m always thinking about things to do. That’s part of my life. And since my father kinda got me started way back on the golf course. It just keeps working. Whether it be lemonade or whether it be cutting the fairways with the old Ford’s tractor, or whatever. It stimulates me, keeps me going, and helps me enjoy my life.”

Over time, the drink became a household refreshment. And it’s all thanks to one hot afternoon and Palmer’s imagination.

 Read more at Daily Club Golf!

Written by

Krushna Pattnaik

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar