June 28, 2015

Ginger Sparkling Arnold Palmer


The story goes that Arnold Palmer used to drink iced tea with lemonade at home, and in 1960, he ordered it while at the US Open here in Denver at the Cherry Hills Country Club.  A woman sitting nearby heard him order it and then ordered that "Palmer drink."  In 2012, there was an ESPN documentary on the drink.  Arnold Palmer mentioned that the drink gained popularity after a woman copied his drink order at a Palm Springs, CA  (my old stomping grounds!) golf course.

Truth be told, I usually don't order or make Arnold Palmers.  Don't get me wrong, I love tea (and am a major teaholic) and lemonade, but I usually just prefer them separate.  When I saw this recipe that combined tea, sparkling water, a ginger simple syrup, and lemon, I was sold because it sounded like summer perfection.  The sparking water and ginger syrup amp up the "refreshing factor" on this drink.

There are a few components to this tea.  First, you have the tea.  I prefer making my iced tea by cold brewing because it does not make the tea as bitter.  I just throw some tea bags and water into a pitcher and let it brew over night.  Easy peasy!  Then, you have the ginger simple syrup.  You make a ginger simple syrup by boiling water, sugar (I used stevia), and ginger.  After you have the tea and simple syrup ready, you combine the simple syrup and the tea along with lemon juice and sparkling water.

Serve over ice and bring a glass to enjoy on your patio or by the pool.  Can it get any better?

Ginger Sparkling Arnold Palmer
Yields 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
For the tea:
2 cups of water
3 bags of black tea
2/3 cup of lemon juice (3-4 lemons)
1 cup of sparkling water (I used Pellegrino)

For the simple syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar (or 1/2 cup stevia)
1 2-inch piece of ginger, sliced and peeled

Directions:  
For the simple syrup:
In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and ginger over medium heat.  Bring it to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer.  Stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved.  Remove the pan from the heat and allow the syrup to cool to room temperature.  Remove the ginger before using.

Make tea using your preferred method (ideas below):
Cold Brew: Add tea bags to large pitcher and 2 cups of cold water.  Steep overnight in fridge and then remove the tea bags.
Hot Brew: Boil 2 cups of water.  Remove the pan from heat and add the tea bags.  Allow the tea to cool to room temperature, remove the tea bags, and then transfer to large pitcher.

Add the simple syrup, lemon juice, and sparkling water to the pitcher containing the tea.  Serve over ice and enjoy!  

Source: Giada De Laurentiis

1 comment:

  1. I love tea with lemon and I would LOVE tea with ginger. I want winter to go away so I can crave iced tea again!

    ReplyDelete

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