A Really Really Damn Fine Product

By Jim Whelan, The Joan Randall Agency

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

I was out with a friend of mine a couple of weeks agoand we stopped into a joint to eat. When the waiterasked what we wanted to drink, my friend said hewanted an Arnold Palmer. I got some bottled water.

I had no idea what an Arnold Palmer was. I vaguelyremembered the name from somewhere but I couldn'tquite place it. All you golfers out there must think I'ma complete idiot, but I don't play golf, preferring to workmy frustration out in the gym, or riding my bicycle.

The drinks come, and the waiter drops a huge can ofsomething in front of my friend with a glass of ice. Thereis a picture of Arnold Palmer on the front and I rememberhe played golf.

So what is it, beer, malt liquor? My friend doesn't lookthe malt liquor type. So I ask, what the hell is an ArnoldPalmer?

"It's a half and half," he says.

"Half what?" I say.

"You really live under a rock," he says, "half ice teaand half lemonade."

It sounded good.

When the waiter came back he ordered one for me.

I cracked the can, poured it over the ice, and threwsome back. I drank the rest in a couple of minutesand ordered another. Then I had a third.

I'm sold.

I bought a case the other night. Then my friendgave me a recipe to make it myself. That's evenbetter, and I'll stick with that.

It's a damn fine product Arnie, but homemade istops.

From the big saddle,
Jim Whelan