Arnold Palmer & John Daly Sippers
It’s Masters week here in Augusta. Golf fanatics are landing here by the droves to follow those little white balls on their journeys across 18 holes at the Augusta National Golf Course.
The Augusta National is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful golf courses in the world. The property is on a former nursery. The flora abounds, each hole taking its name from a signature plant. The grass underfoot has a certain spring to it. The long shadows of the loblolly pines offer respite on sunny days. The jays chirp out their gleeful songs.
This tournament is much more than just the game of golf–it is a feeling. A magical feeling.
And the green jacket is much more than just a jacket. It’s an entity announcing that the wearer “has arrived” in the special realm of winners. Some golfers consider the green jacket to be the ultimate symbol of success.
As a way to scratch my Masters™ golf tournament itch, I decided to post drink recipes that have been attributed to two golf legends–Arnold Palmer and John Daly.
The Arnold Palmer
Arnold Palmer staked a claim to four green jackets over the course of seven years: 1958, 1960, 1962, 1964.
Rumor has it that back in the 1960’s, Arnold Palmer asked a waitress for a “mixed” drink consisting iced tea and lemonade. Word of this mash-up spread throughout Arnie’s Army, and that signature drink found its place in history.
This refreshing elixir is popular here in the South, as it mixes two regional favorites into one iconic concoction. The recipe is quite simple: mix equal parts sweet tea and lemonade.
The John Daly
John Daly came on the golf scene with a flourish, etching his name on the golfworld radar with his 1991 PGA Championship victory as a folk hero, if you will. Not the typical country club type in manner or dress, Daly is a maverick in every sense of the word.
He is renowned for his driving distance, colorful character, and adult version of the Arnold Palmer beverage. His namesake beverage shakes up the gentlemanly libation.
The recipe for this drink is also quite simple and delicious–equal parts lemonade and sweet tea vodka, such as Firefly. It starts with two ingredients but many more can be added or substituted, such as bourbon and Cointreau. Just be sure to salute John Daly as you tilt one back in homage.
Although this tournament is steeped in tradition, things changed a bit this year with the hosting of the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur. The ballstrike of these remarkable women was impressive, to say the least. Winner Jennifer Kupcho, like Arnold Palmer, is a graduate of Wake Forest University. I tend to think Arny would wax nostalgic had he been around to watch Kupcho write her name in the history books.
I hope you have an opportunity to visit this little corner of heaven, nestled among dogwoods and azaleas. It truly feels like a botanical wonderland.
XXOO AB
These bevies pair remarkably well with the (no longer a secret) Pimento Cheese Sandwiches.
