Featured Reader Comment
I made this for our Fourth of July cookout and it was the first thing to disappear. Everyone asked for the recipe. I’ve already made it three more times this summer. This one is a keeper.
Julia
The Drink That Starts Every Great Summer Gathering
There is something about an Arnold Palmer that just feels like summer in a glass. The sweet tea, the fresh lemon, the clink of ice on a warm afternoon. I grew up drinking the classic version by the pitcher. But somewhere along the way, I discovered that a little bourbon makes it even better.
So I built a big batch version designed for a crowd — made with real homemade lemonade and good Southern sweet tea. The result is bright, tangy, smooth, and just the right kind of something extra.
This is the pitcher drink you make when you want people to feel like summer showed up right on your back porch. Easy enough to throw together before guests arrive, and impressive enough that everyone thinks you worked harder than you did.
XO,
What I Know After Making This All Summer Long
- Make your own lemonade. Store-bought works in a pinch, but fresh-squeezed lemon juice makes every sip taste brighter. You can taste the difference immediately.
- Let the simple syrup cool completely. Warm syrup added to a cold pitcher dilutes the ice fast and muddles the flavor. Give it at least 20 minutes on the counter before mixing.
- Choose your bourbon wisely. A middle-shelf bourbon with caramel and vanilla notes plays beautifully against the lemon and tea. Save the top-shelf bottle for sipping straight.
- Chill everything before it hits the pitcher. Cold tea, cold lemonade, cold bourbon. The colder your ingredients, the less ice melts, and the better the drink.
- Offer the bourbon on the side. The move for mixed crowds. Set out the pitcher of sweet tea lemonade and let guests pour their own.
- Do not add ice to the pitcher. Ice belongs in individual glasses, not the pitcher. A pitcher full of ice gets watered down fast.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Fresh lemons bring the bright, tangy backbone that makes this drink sing. Nothing from a bottle can replicate real citrus in a recipe this simple.
Simple syrup is the sweetener for your homemade lemonade. Sugar dissolved in water gives you smooth sweetness without any gritty undissolved sugar at the bottom of the glass.
Sweet tea is the Southern half of this equation. Chilled, dark, and strong enough to hold its own against the lemon and bourbon.
Bourbon brings warmth, caramel depth, and just enough edge to make this a proper grown-up drink. Use whatever you love to sip.
Fresh mint and lemon slices are the garnish that turns a casual backyard drink into something that looks planned. Never skip the garnish when you are hosting.
A Few Ways I Love to Change It Up
- Peach bourbon variation. Swap in a peach-infused bourbon or add a splash of peach nectar to the pitcher. Summer stone fruit and sweet tea were made for each other.
- Virgin pitcher. Leave the bourbon out entirely, and you have the most refreshing homemade Arnold Palmer around. Perfect for guests who do not drink or for filling a second pitcher for the kids.
- Sparkling version. Top each glass with a splash of club soda before serving. Festive and unexpected.
- Mint simple syrup. Steep a handful of fresh mint in your hot simple syrup before it cools. Strain it out before mixing. The mint comes through in every sip without overpowering the lemon and bourbon.
- Frozen slushie version. Pour the finished pitcher (minus the bourbon) into a freezer-safe container and freeze for four hours. Scrape with a fork and serve with bourbon poured over the top.
How I Stay One Step Ahead When I’m Hosting
This pitcher drink was built for hosting. Here is how I do it:
Make it the night before. Combine the lemonade and sweet tea in the pitcher, cover, and refrigerate. The flavors deepen overnight, and it is ready to go the moment your guests walk in.
Simple syrup keeps for two weeks. Make a double batch and store it in a jar in the fridge. You are halfway to your next pitcher without lifting a finger.
Batch the bourbon separately. Measure 1.5 ounces per guest into a small carafe or mason jar. Pre-portioning the bourbon makes serving effortless at a big gathering.
My #1 tip: set up a self-serve station. Put out the cold pitcher, glasses, ice, the bourbon pour, and a garnish tray. Guests serve themselves, and you actually get to enjoy the party.
More From My Kitchen, Made for Your Table
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water (for the simple sugar)
- 1 ½ cups fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 6-8 lemons)
- 4 cups sweet tea – chilled
- Bourbon, your favorite (you'll need about 1 – 1 ½ ounce per glass)
- lemon slices
- fresh mint springs
- ice
Instructions
- Make the simple syrup by combining the water and sugar in a small sauce pan over medium high heat. Stir until sugar is melted, and immediately remove from heat to chill.
- In a large pitcher, combine the simple sugar, lemon juice, and 2 cups of cold water. Stir well – this is the lemonade base.
- Add the sweet tea and stir to combine.
- To serve, fill glasses with ice and pour the Arnold Palmer over until about ¾ full. Add 1 to 1 ½ ounces of Bourbon. You can also leave the bottle out to guests can make their own.
- Garnish each glass with a lemon slice and mint.
Nutrition
Questions You Might Have (Answered Before You Even Ask)
A spiked Arnold Palmer is the classic half-lemonade, half-iced tea drink with a spirit added — most often bourbon or vodka. The original Arnold Palmer was named after the legendary golfer who was famous for ordering lemonade and iced tea mixed together. Adding bourbon turns it into a John Daly, technically, but bourbon Arnold Palmer is how most people search for it. Call it whatever you want. Just make a big pitcher of it.
A smooth, mid-range bourbon with caramel and vanilla notes is the sweet spot here. Woodford Reserve, Buffalo Trace, and Four Roses are all wonderful choices. Avoid heavily peated or smoky whiskeys — they fight the lemon and tea instead of complementing them.
Absolutely. Leave out the bourbon and you have a beautiful homemade Arnold Palmer that stands completely on its own. Every bit as refreshing. Fill a second pitcher for guests who do not drink — your table looks generous and nobody is left out.
You can, and it will taste good. But fresh-squeezed lemon juice takes this from a simple backyard drink to something genuinely special. If you have 15 minutes and a handful of lemons, go fresh. The difference is noticeable in the very first sip.
If you tried this Big Batch Bourbon Arnold Palmer or any other recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks!
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