John Daly Cocktail (Drunken Arnold Palmer Drink)

Did you know there is a National Ice Tea Day?  I just found out myself, everything has its day - I guess.  And why not?  From the health benefits to the flavors and the variety, tea has finally made its mark on the American beverage market.

And why not celebrate with a well known tea drink, the Jon Daly?  Let's start with the background on the drink.  Arnold Palmer, (legend on the golf course) is the name behind the original drink made with half iced tea and half lemonade. It's classy and sophisticated, just like Arnold.  The John Daly version is the same tea and lemonade drink with the addition of vodka; John Daly is not quite as well put together as Arnold, he is known as the 'drinker' of the golf course.

It's simple and it's good - just tea, lemonade and vodka. Black tea, white tea, oolongs, herbal, green- so many tea choices. If you are new to tea base your selection around flavors you normally rely on - do you like flavored coffee or straight black? You may find a basic black tea nice. Do you drink flavored waters that are fruity?  Try a flavored tea like white pomegranate.  Not a fan of caffeine?  Go with an herbal.  The choices are endless.

For the lemonade you can simply purchase a premade bottle. If you want to get fancy, squeeze real lemons and add sugar (honey, stevia etc.); this option would be my preference but it's not always realistic.

Bring on the vodka.  Vodka is more complicated than it used to be, do you go with a classic vodka or a flavored one? Again, lean towards your flavor profile.  You can't beat a simple classic. But fruity vodkas can work well too, just remember to match with your tea so the flavors are not competing. 
 
Whether you have the Arnold version or the John version, they are both a refreshing summer option and great way to celebrate National Tea Day...not that any Fat and Happy Blog reader needs a reason to party. 


Tip and techniques: National tea day is June 10th, you have all year to perfect your drink. If you are new to tea, start out with just a few simple flavors from the grocery store and then when you are ready you can move up to loose tea. Brew your tea ahead of time so it has time to cool. Strawberry lemon was the tea I used in the photos above.



 John Daley Cocktail (Drunken Arnold Palmer Drink)

1 cup brewed tea, unsweetened
1 cup lemonade
2 shots of vodka

Mix all ingredients in a glass with ice.  Garnish with a mint leaf.