--- description: The golfing legend died on Sept. 25 at age 87. Here's the story behind how he gave his name to the combination of lemonade and iced tea. title: How Arnold Palmer Gave His Name to His Signature Drink image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb300626a05fdeb6d/6988a76fa988cad1936b9869/1101600502_400.jpg?branch=production&width=828&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [History](/section/history/) ## History Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [remembrance](/tag/remembrance/) ## remembrance Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # How Arnold Palmer Gave His Name to His Signature Drink  by [Lily Rothman](/author/lily-rothman/)  ## Lily Rothman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Rothman is managing editor at TIME. Sep 26, 2016 2:23 AM CUT  The May 2, 1960, cover of TIME The May 2, 1960, cover of TIMECover Credit: RICHARD MEEK  by [Lily Rothman](/author/lily-rothman/)  ## Lily Rothman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Rothman is managing editor at TIME. Sep 26, 2016 2:23 AM CUT Arnold Palmer, who [died on Sunday at 87](http://time.com/4507133/golfing-legend-arnold-palmer-dies-aged-87/?xid=homepage "undefined"), seemed to be born for golf: his father was a pro at the Pennsylvania club where he learned to play. And, even as his heyday faded into the past, he kept playing — dozens of tournaments a year, [even after more than a decade had passed](http://time.com/vault/issue/1978-02-27/page/94/ "undefined") since his last major tournament victory. In fact, he didn’t [retire](http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/golf/2006-10-13-palmer-retirement%5Fx.htm "undefined") until 2006. But, despite being one of the most recognizable figures in the history of golf, that won’t be all he’s remembered for. Palmer also gave his name to the mixture of iced tea and lemonade that even non-golfers love. According to legend, the drink’s name goes back to the 1960s. It was already a favorite drink of Palmer’s at the time — as related by Brad Brewer in [_Mentored by the King: Arnold Palmer’s Lessons for Golf, Business, and Life_ ](https://books.google.com/books?id=f07bQL5zx10C&dq "undefined")— a woman happened to overhear Palmer asking a Palm Springs, Calif., waitress to mix him one. She asked for the same, referring to it as “that Palmer drink.” The rest was refreshing history. ### Arnold Palmer: Rare and Classic Photos of Golf's Superstar Everyman  Arnold Palmer in a familiar pose -- with a cigarette -- in 1962\. The golf legend quit smoking for good in 1970 -- an achievement he ranks with his best. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Arnold Palmer, 1962. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. The surest touch in golf is transmitted through palmer's outsized biceps, wrists and hands. His great strength enables him to drive farther than most pros and helps get him out of uncomfortable situations in the rough. This strength gives him stamina to keep the pressure on round after round. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Arnold Palmer, "the relentless man of sport…" John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. In home workshop Palmer grinds, inspects, repairs tools of his trade. Palmer's search for perfection keeps him tinkering with equipment. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. In father-and-son match Arnold waits while Milfred Palmer, his first teacher tees off at Oakmont, Pa. Country Club" in 1962. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Arnold Palmer and family, 1962. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Arnold Palmer and his admiring fans, 1962. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Arnold Palmer, 1962. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Arnold Palmer, 1962. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Arnold Palmer, 1962. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Despite his mastery of shots, Palmer sometimes feels compelled to help out with body English, as in playoff round of the '62 Masters, which he won. GEORGE SILK  Arnold Palmer walking at the Masters in 1962. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Crowd watching Arnold Palmer at the 1962 Masters Tournament. George Silk—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Arnold Palmer, 1962. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Crowd following Arnold Palmer, 1962. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Arnold Palmer, 1962. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Working a sideline which adds to biggest income in golf, Palmer signs autographs at stand filled with his products at a Wheeling, West Va., course. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images Palmer would later lend his [name](http://www.arnoldpalmerteastory.com/launch.html "undefined") and [image](http://time.com/vault/issue/2006-04-10/page/67/ "undefined") to branded iterations of the drink, but the Arnold Palmer story is about more than just a tasty beverage and a branding opportunity. After all, it takes more than one simple “I’ll have what he’s having” to turn a generic soft-drink request into a widely recognized nickname. (The [complicated story of the Shirley Temple](http://time.com/6659/shirley-temple-drink/ "undefined") is proof.) The popularity of the Arnold Palmer drink speaks to the popularity of the golfer himself. At the time, Palmer was known for his legions of fans, who had a nickname of their own: Arnie’s Army. It was the widespread and dense network of followers that helped spread the drink nationwide. Palmer’s fans were so numerous and so dedicated — he could draw thousands of spectators to a tournament — that they were [sometimes](http://time.com/vault/issue/1962-08-03/page/49/ "undefined") a distraction from the game itself. But their presence spoke to what made Palmer special and why, decades later, he has remained synonymous with his sport. As TIME put it in a 1960 cover story about the athlete: --- > “” --- **_Read TIME’s 1960 cover story about Palmer, here in the TIME Vault:_** [For Love & Money](http://time.com/vault/issue/1960-05-02/page/56/ "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4507209/arnold-palmer-drink-history/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4507209/arnold-palmer-drink-history/"},"headline":"How Arnold Palmer Gave His Name to His Signature Drink","datePublished":"2016-09-26T02:23:38.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:59:28.371Z","description":"The golfing legend died on Sept. 25 at age 87","url":"https://time.com/4507209/arnold-palmer-drink-history/","keywords":["remembrance","Sports topic","golf"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb300626a05fdeb6d/6988a76fa988cad1936b9869/1101600502_400.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Lily Rothman","jobTitle":"Rothman is managing editor at TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/"}],"articleSection":"History","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb300626a05fdeb6d/6988a76fa988cad1936b9869/1101600502_400.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"The May 2, 1960, cover of TIME","caption":"May 2, 1960","creditText":"Cover Credit: RICHARD MEEK","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/history/","name":"History"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/remembrance/","name":"remembrance"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4507209/arnold-palmer-drink-history/","name":"How Arnold Palmer Gave His Name to His Signature Drink"}}]}] ```