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DEL.ICIO.USJune Is Iced Tea Month
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
ICE TEA: With lemonade or without?
Photo: Keith Hadley/AJC
Perhaps you were unaware: June is iced tea month.
But I’m in a bit of a predicament. When did Atlantans (those of us born and raised here) start putting lemonade in their iced tea? When I returned from a 16-year living stint in New England four years ago, I noticed that this habit has become a small phenom here — from high-end restaurants to pour-your-own-soda chains.
While I admit the result - a sweet, lemony, lip-smacking refresher - is tasty, I’d like to know when it arrived. We never did this when I was growing up — and neither did anyone else I know who was born and raised in the area. And now it’s touted as so Atlantan….
The drink, when the ratios are half lemonade, half tea, is actually called an Arnold Palmer, named after the golf legend. Alcoholic variations are numerous, where vodka and triple sec or bourbon are added (among others). Arizona Iced Tea actually makes a non-alchie canned version.
But I’m still baffled. I never drank anything like this, fancy name or otherwise, growing up. It’s NOT Atlantan … it’s not even originally Southern. It was purportedly first created in Colorado.
Did (or does) your family mix lemonade with iced tea? Where’s your favorite glass of iced tea or Arnold Palmer?
Permalink | Comments (34) | Post your comment | Categories: Dining
Comments
By Shell
June 19, 2008 8:21 AM | Link to this
D*mn skippy it’s not “Atlantan”. I’m the rarest animal in Atlanta, a native, and I’ve never heard of it till now. Maybe a splash of lemon juice - my Mama likes it that way nad so do I once in a while - but certainly not half and half with lemonade. That’s an affectation, like putting lime in a beer.
By Vaughn
June 19, 2008 8:31 AM | Link to this
Native Georgian here that picked it up from her Midwestern in-laws. The Arnold Palmer IS an “Atlantan” drink because 95% of Atlantans are transplants!
By Reds
June 19, 2008 8:43 AM | Link to this
I actually started drinking these after my grandfather introduced them to me… In upstate NY.
Like Shell, I’m an Atlanta native, but I do drink unsweet tea with lemon. Every now and then I will mix it with Lemonade to give it a little bit of sweetness.
By Mystery Solved
June 19, 2008 8:44 AM | Link to this
It is definitely a northern thing - I grew up in New Jersey (born in the 1950’s) and my mother and grandmother always mixed lemonade into iced tea - it probably went back to an even earlier generation. When frozen lemonade concentrate became available in the ‘60’s, they would use a few tablespoons of that instead of making fresh lemonade. Nothing even originated in Colorado - everyone there came from back east.
By spence
June 19, 2008 8:49 AM | Link to this
In the mid-50’s our family would picnic on Grassy Mountain near Chatsworth. My uncle’s specialty was a punch mixed of 1/3 tea, 1/3 ginger ale and 1/3 lemonade or orange juice - it was delicious!
By Shell
June 19, 2008 8:50 AM | Link to this
By Vaughn
“June 19, 2008 8:31 AM | Link to this
Native Georgian here that picked it up from her Midwestern in-laws. The Arnold Palmer IS an “Atlantan” drink because 95% of Atlantans are transplants!”
Heh. Ain’t that the truth.
By Ms ATL
June 19, 2008 9:04 AM | Link to this
I’m a native Atlantan, born at Holy Family Hospital (old school). We drank “Arnold Palmers” all the time when I was growing up. But we just called it mixed sweet tea.
By Get it Right
June 19, 2008 9:42 AM | Link to this
I’ve been in Atlanta for 21 years and the only good sweet tea I can get is the tea I make like Momma’s in SC. Everything here is made for the yankees. Too weak and too sweet. Now, they’re mixing lemonade in it. Leave it to them to screw up somethig good.
By Mrs. Warren
June 19, 2008 9:50 AM | Link to this
Wow. I have some Arnold Palmer on my desk right now!! SCARY!!! I don’t know where it came from. I first heard of it a couple of years ago, tried it and liked it. Now I always have a pitcher of lemonade and a pitcher of sweet tea in the fridge.
By Sxzscorpia
June 19, 2008 10:19 AM | Link to this
Native Atlantan here- and I’ve been drinking it since I was a pre-teen. Never knew it WASN’T a southern thing…but it’s dayum good!
By Sxzscorpia
June 19, 2008 10:22 AM | Link to this
Native Atlantan here- and I’ve been drinking it since I was a pre-teen. Never knew it WASN’T a southern thing…but it’s dayum good!
By Lemon-AID
June 19, 2008 10:34 AM | Link to this
One time I snorted lemon-aid mix and tea leaves. In my nose they tasted good. Now in all seriousness, I think Obama should win and I dont care if you think ATL station is dangerous.
By AmazonRed
June 19, 2008 10:58 AM | Link to this
Arizona’s version of the Arnold Palmer is good, the sweet tea is excellent! I buy both by the gallon size. Check it out!
By Lisa
June 19, 2008 11:03 AM | Link to this
I’m born, raised & nicknamed Scarlet and I’ve been drinking iced tea with a splash of lemonade for as long as I can remember. My favorite is Chick Fil A sweet with a splash of their lemonade. (Add a little lemon vodka and it’s even better!)
By FCM
June 19, 2008 11:03 AM | Link to this
When I waited tables (decade + ago) some people did order their drink this way. So I guess it’s been ‘out there’ awhile. I had however, forgotten about it until I saw it at Trader Joes. Their version (according to my children) is very good. I am not a lemonade fan so I don’t drink this.
I do like my tea southern style…sweet with a sprig of fresh mint. Now you just don’t find it served that way too many places. Fortunately my mother has had mint in the side garden for decades…just pick a bit and put it in the tea…However, she and Daddy go sans sugar—-now that just isn’t proper.
By Garden Hills Native
June 19, 2008 11:43 AM | Link to this
Well I’m a native, 52 years old next month, both parents were native Georgians, and when I was a kid I always remember small wedges of lemon in my parents tea (I could only have tea on rare treats) Also, lime and sometimes a fresh sprig of mint from the garden were delicious variants. I don’t always require anything outside of a bit of sweetner, and I can even do without that, but I do enjoy any of those 3 “enhancers” in my iced tea.
By Becky
June 19, 2008 11:55 AM | Link to this
Native Georgian here(46) & I don’t remember ever having drank this as a child..As FCM said, I do remember a sprig of mint as a child..
By ron
June 19, 2008 12:13 PM | Link to this
I drank something similar to this over in Augusta in ‘62.Maybe it started at the Masters?
By JustMe
June 19, 2008 12:57 PM | Link to this
As a 41 yr old Atlanta born and life-long Atlanta/metro-Atlanta resident, I can only attest to something I started enjoying as a teenager - my mother would mix up a batch of her homemade lemonade then freeze some in ice cube trays to put in iced tea in place of regular ice cubes - YUM, delish! Ever since then, I’ve liked to mix tea with lemonade. And yes, my mother was also an Atlantan, though my dad was from deep south GA.
By AJ JAM
June 19, 2008 1:10 PM | Link to this
No it’s not a southern thing at all..only in New York we call them uptowns!!
By Georgia Peachtree St. native
June 19, 2008 1:21 PM | Link to this
I invented this tea on my own when i could never get lemon with my tea, soo… the fountain drinks have the lemonade (minutemaid is the best)and i add it to my tea. I gave up trying to tell the waitresses etc. how to make it. McAllister’s has the best Arnold Palmer!
By kt
June 19, 2008 2:24 PM | Link to this
I am from Charlotte NC & have always had lemons in my ice tea. I actually prefer my sweet ice tea w/lemons. I only heard of lemonade in the tea when I moved to Atlanta. At Glady’s Knights Chicken & Waffles they call them “Uptowns”.
By Keon Johnson
June 19, 2008 2:24 PM | Link to this
I grew up in Kentucky. My mother used to make lemon tea. But I’m under 30yrs old. I don’t know how southern it is or isn’t. I don’t remember my grandmother using lemon and she was from Mississippi. I’m curious to this myself. I figured it was more of a British thing like tea time with either cream or lemon.
By Meridith Ford
June 19, 2008 2:35 PM | Link to this
Just to clarify: I’m talking about mixing equal parts lemonade and tea — not just adding a little lemon juice or a lemon wedge to iced tea ….
By JJ
June 19, 2008 3:25 PM | Link to this
First, I wish I could ask all fellow native Atlantans to quit using the ATL moniker. Unless you are talking airport it’s degrading to our city.
Second, I never heard of an Arnold Palmer till a couple of years ago. Arnold is from Pennsylvania but I’m guessing it’s roots are somewhere south of there. He definitely loves the drink and Ingles sells it in a carton now. It’s great.
By hunterj6
June 19, 2008 3:48 PM | Link to this
At Fatt Matts Rib Shack this is a must. By far the best in town. Maybe Fatt Matt should add it to the title?
By Birmingham
June 19, 2008 4:23 PM | Link to this
Hi Atlanta, Birmingham here. We don’t do that here, because to screw up a glass of Milo’s sweet tea would be sacrilege.
By FCM
June 19, 2008 4:34 PM | Link to this
Meredith—2 things—
It’s a blog, once you give it life you can do little to control where the topic roams too.
I have had lemon or lime in the tea for as long as I can remember. I think most people are saying that while they can recall use or use a wedge of lemon in their tea they don’t do the lemonade thing. Others are saying they have heard of it but either don’t partake…or do partake and like it.
By Chelsie
June 19, 2008 4:44 PM | Link to this
I remember playing golf in Pennsylvania and I was served the actual Arnold Palmer brand iced tea. It comes in a big can and it’s good. It’s not an Atlanta thing.. get over yourselves people.
By Vulcan
June 19, 2008 4:46 PM | Link to this
Um, Birmingham, up here on the mountain, I’ve been enjoying Milo’s tea and lemonade for years.
By Redneck Convert
June 19, 2008 4:50 PM | Link to this
Well, I drink all my sweet tea with lime in it. I used to use lemon til I went down to Carrabelle, Fla. and had me some fried mullet and shrimp at Julia Mae’s and they put lime in their tea. It’s much better than lemon. And the durn shame is Julia Mae’s is closed, cause some fancy developer bought their gulfside property. Dang.
By Atlanta Blue
June 19, 2008 5:00 PM | Link to this
Legend has it that Arnold Palmer used to ask for half lemonade, half iced tea when he was at Augusta National. The club named the drink the “Arnold Palmer” in his honor.
Where was it “invented”? Who knows? Where was it NAMED? Augusta, Georgia.
By Ol coot
June 19, 2008 5:26 PM | Link to this
If you get out of the South, you can’t get sweet tea, unless you add sugar to your unsweetened tea, which of course does not dissolve worth a flip. So half lemonade and half tea is a good substitute. And I learned about myself from my nephew in Arizona.
By Martha Newman
August 27, 2008 6:34 PM | Link to this
Okay. I was a restaurant manager at La Contenta Golf Course in California in 1986. I started offering 1/2 iced tea and 1/2 lemonade on our menu. It sounded good and I tried it and really liked it. We just called it 1/2 and 1/2. I moved to Colorado and visited the restaurant several years later and noticed they still had it on their menu as 1/2 and 1/2. The next thing I knew it was on other golf course menus but now named Arnold Palmer. I notice that the bottled Arnold Palmers actually have “1/2 and 1/2” on it. So if you want to know where the Arnold Palmer came from now you know. In a little town called Valley Springs at a Golf Course restaurant. I wonder how much Arnold got to have his name put on it? I think I’m bummed. I KNOW he didn’t start it.