Ina Garten Bourbon Arnold Palmers

Ina Garten bourbon Arnold Palmers are an easy make ahead drink she got from LA caterer Jennifer Naylor. Since Naylor poured them at a party, I brew the tea early, then stir in bourbon before guests arrive. And one pitcher covers a dinner party of six, so nobody waits.

Mix it early in the day and chill it hard, because warm tea over ice melts down into a weak pitcher. But drink it the same day, since fresh lemon juice shifts flavor once it sits overnight.

Source: Go-To Dinners (2022)

Ina Garten Bourbon Arnold Palmers

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: BeverageCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Calories

135

kcal

Black tea steeps for ten minutes, then cools into a pitcher of lemon juice, simple syrup and bourbon. Once it is properly cold, you pour it over ice, which keeps the drink crisp instead of watery.

Ingredients

• 2 tea bags, such as Earl Grey or English Breakfast
  

• 2 cups boiling water
  

• ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
  

• ½ cup simple syrup (see note)
  

• 1 cup good bourbon, such as Maker's Mark
  

• ½ lemon, halved through the stem and cut in ¼-inch-thick half-rounds

Directions

• Steep the tea: Place the tea bags in a 2-cup glass measuring cup and add the boiling water. Then steep for 10 minutes before discarding the tea bags.
• Build the pitcher: Meanwhile, combine the lemon juice, simple syrup, bourbon, and 2 cups water in a glass pitcher. Then stir in the brewed tea and refrigerate until cold.
• Pour and garnish: Once the mixture is cold, fill glasses half full with ice. Then pour in the drink and garnish with a lemon slice before serving ice cold.

Tools for this recipe

• Bormioli Rocco glass pitcher with lid, Pyrex 2-cup glass measuring cup, Zulay metal lemon squeezer. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use a different bourbon, or skip it?

Maker's Mark is what Ina calls for, though any decent bourbon you already drink will work here. But skip a heavily peated or smoky whiskey, since the smoke fights the lemon instead of sitting behind it. And if you want it alcohol free, mix the tea, lemon and syrup on their own, then pour bourbon into individual glasses later.

How long does the pitcher keep in the refrigerator?

Make it in the morning and drink it that night, because fresh lemon juice starts to taste dull and slightly bitter after a day. So this is not a drink you batch on Sunday for the week. And if you have leftovers, pour them off the ice first, since melted ice waters down what is left.

Can I make the simple syrup ahead of time?

Yes, and it is the one part worth making days early, since it has to be cold before it goes in. Once one cup sugar and one cup water come to a boil, cook until the sugar dissolves, then chill it. And it keeps for weeks in a jar, so make a double batch while the pan is already out.

What equipment do I actually need?

Not much, though a 2-cup glass measuring cup makes steeping the tea easy because you can see the color darken. Then you need a glass pitcher big enough for about six cups, since tea, water, juice, syrup and bourbon add up fast. And a hand juicer saves you fighting three lemons by hand.

What goes wrong most often with this drink?

The usual slip is bottled lemon juice, which tastes flat and slightly metallic next to three lemons you squeeze yourself. Then another slip is skipping the 2 cups water in the pitcher, since that water balances the bourbon and syrup. And people forget the garnish, though a lemon half-round adds the smell you get before the first sip.