Golf has blessed us with much more than this magnificently frustrating game. It has blessed up with a coping mechanism for when we’re trying to stay sane on the links. Legends like Arnold Palmer and John Daly will be remembered for much more than their heroic major wins, they’ll be remembered for the drinks we enjoy on and off the course. But it doesn’t stop there with just major winners. It’s also the major venues themselves that have “secret” drinks worth getting. Finally, we’ll get to my favorite underground drink that I’ve found out about after joining Metacomet CC.
Arnold Palmer’s high swing finish and 7 majors has him saluted well into the Golf Hall of Fame. For those who don’t golf, they may recognize the name for his drink that he made famous, the Arnold Palmer consisting of a perfect 50 50 blend of iced tea and lemonade. Many have recognized it in their local convenience stores in the Arizona brand bottle. Deep in the golf world, stories have made their way from one another, and the ones who knew Arnie knew that from time to time he would spike it and make an adult version. For years, we have been making this on our own with Smirnoff or Tito’s Vodka, but now MillerCoors has made life ultra simple and taken that step out. We can now go to the liquor store and find Arnold Palmer sitting on the shelf in a single, 6 pack, or 12 pack. As ones who enjoy trying a new drink, a few of my friends and I took a taste test, for science. The results were 5/5 of us thought it tasted 95% similar to the Arizona Arnold Palmer. Also, after 3 of these drinks, 5/5 of us noticed a significant change in our behavior. Be careful when enjoying this drink because it tastes that good! It will most likely be your new go to on the links or at the beach. This adult drink replicates the John Daly. Golfers have been known to share many secrets and maybe, in this instance, Arnie shared his beverage of choice with John, and John Daly made the adult version famous. Now that Miller made the adult version, they have you covered!
Nothing beats 5 golfing Sunday’s every year. Can you guess what those 5 Sundays are? It’s the 4 major Sundays and the Sunday of the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup. A few years back my dad got to have the experience of a lifetime and witnessed the Masters in person. He saw Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Gary Player all play together in the par 3 contest, truly a golfers dream! On top of the golf stories that I could go on for hours about, he mentioned that there’s an official drink of the Masters. Huh? I knew of the famed pimento sandwich but never a beverage. After a quick google search I found the Azalea, the Masters famed drink! It consists of 1 part lime juice, 1 part pineapple juice, 3 parts gin (I recommend Tanqueray) and a splash of grenadine. Shaken with ice is the way to go! Next April when you’re watching the Masters come Sunday, remember the Azalea and you’ll feel more connected to the tournament.
At the moment I am not aware of official drinks of the other 3 majors or for team USA. At the very least, please, let's come up with a drink for when we support team USA at the end of the year during the Ryder Cup. Until we do, we can support with an American classic in Miller Lite on Sunday.
If people want to vote one in, I am voting for a Transfusion. After many hear the name of this drink, I see a confused look on their face, and the notorious question soon follows. What’s a Transfusion? I fell victim to this when I first joined Metacomet CC in Providence, RI. After playing in a weekend tournament, I ordered my golf go-to, a Cape Codder (Cranberry, vodka, and lime), and the table all ordered Transfusions. This is the first time I learned about this notorious golf beverage. It consists of vodka (Kettle One or Tito’s work great!), ginger ale, and a splash of grape juice. Trust me, once you have one you get hooked! Chances are you may order them afterwards at other restaurants/bars. A fair warning, that puzzled face look that your friends gave you when you ordered one at the golf course- a non golf course bartender may give you that same puzzled look. If you’re in any luck, the restaurant will add it to the menu after they find out about this golf secret and name it after you.
Golf has many twists and turns and finding out about golf secret drinks may be one of them. Be careful, if you dive deep into this it opens up a whole new world, especially when you search for European golf drinks. My beverage go-tos have expanded from this so I would definitely recommend trying the transfusion! We all thank MillerCoors for their phenomenal work in creating a drink worthy of the King. In conclusion, let’s rally together and come up with a drink for team USA, thank you America!
