Arnold Palmer: The Golfer, The Foodie & The Drink

The year was 2005, and NCR Country Club was hosting the PGA Senior open.  It was the last day of the event, and a tired Arnold Palmer stopped into the CVS convenient store in Oakwood on Far Hills Ave.  He was looking for lotion and grabbed an ice tea and a lemonade.  He asked questions of the young clerk upon checkout, and was on his merry way.  Another day in the life of the legend.

Arnold Palmer, the iconic 20th Century golfer, passed away last weekend of heart failure.  He was 87.   Arnold was the closest thing golf had to royalty.  He grew up in Latrobe, Pennsylvania,  learned golf from his father who was the greenskeeper.  Arnold eventually would buy the golf club, after a successful career that began with a golfing scholarship at Wake Forest and his first amateur win in 1954, cementing his turn to a professional golfer.

He was always a hard worker, viewed as a blue collar champion of the sport.  He also had a sense of humor: “I have a tip that can take five strokes off anyone’s golf game: it’s called an eraser.”

 

THE SKINNY ON ARNOLD THE FOODIE:

From clothing to sports equipment and commercials, he was a marketing guru as well.  We are happy to report that Arnold was also a foodie.  His favorite Food Adventure?  A nice, thick, juicy burger.    He also loved comfort foods like meatloaf, beef stroganoff and pot roast.  Another favorite MUST EAT?  Montgomery Inn Ribs.  In fact, he loved them so much, he featured them on his menu in his restaurant in La Quinta, California

 

MUST DRINKS: “THE ARNOLD PALMER”

Arnold’s wife used to make iced tea for him a lot.  I  the 60’s he asked her to put a little lemonade in it and see how it tasted to change things up.  Once he got the proportions of each ingredient right, he had found his trademark.  Years later at a restaurant bar in Palm Springs, California, he would ask the bartender for the concoction.  A waitress overheard the request and said I want to try one of those “Arnold Palmers” and so requested a couple of diners as well.  There you have it…   In approximately 2005, the Arizona Tea Company mass produced the drink to the delight of thirsty golfers, sports fans and convenient store visitors.

So today, Food Adventures raises a glass of HALF ICED TEA and HALF LEMONADE to the  MONTGOMERY INN RIBS LOVING, “King of Golf,” Arnold Palmer.

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