John Daly Drink

By Steve Kilcullen Jump to Recipe

Had a hard day on the links, with your balls constantly getting stuck in the rough? Wind down with a refreshing and spiked John Daly cocktail.

For a handful of years, I worked in the cart barn of a fancy shmancy golf club in Northeast Virginia. It was a public course, set up to mimic the opulence and exclusivity of a private one. And it happened to be the sister club of one of the nation’s most famous private courses, which shall remain nameless. Not that anything salacious happened that I was witness to while I was there—and I was there a lot—but once I stopped working and moved on, I was done. Still am. And to this day, I don’t golf.

But I did meet a fair amount of people who did, and by the time they rolled up in their carts off the 18th hole after a game, mostly with angry expressions, they were usually in various states of inebriation. We had a drink cart at our course, with all manner of portable snacks, sandwiches and different kinds of beverages. Mostly alcoholic. Beer seemed to be the drink of choice while the players were out on the fairway, but once they hit the clubhouse, and then the bar, strong, stiff cocktails became the way to round out the day and ease the pain of going over par.

Today’s recipe is a golfer’s beverage, the John Daly. Named for PGA Tour Champion John “Wild Thing” Daly, it is basically a spiked or “hard” version of another famous beverage from the sport, the Arnold Palmer. An Arnold Palmer, invented by the iconic golfer of the same name, is just an even mix of iced tea and lemonade. The John Daly makes things a little more interesting, by adding liquor. Adding a spirit to an Arnold Palmer and calling it a John Daly was a cheeky reference to Daly’s notorious love for the harder stuff.

But when I would see many amateur sportsmen already a few drinks in, stumbling around the putting green before they even hit the first hole, it just made me realize they were trying to catch up to a professional.

What Is The Best Alcohol To Use In A John Daly Cocktail?

Our recipe calls for mixing your lemonade and iced tea concoction with vodka. Choose a nice, crisp top-shelf spirit, either a potato or rye distilled variety. The latter will bring a little extra heat with each sip. A vodka like Tito’s works great in a John Daly as well, since the corn distillation adds a subtle sweetness that brings an effortless balance to your drink.

WHAT GLASSWARE AND GARNISH ARE USED?

Fill a tall highball glass with ice cubes, and once your John Daly is ready to sip on, garnish with a lemon wheel. Just don’t putt and drink at the same time.

CAN YOU USE PINK LEMONADE IN THIS RECIPE?

You can. I find pink lemonade to be a little sweeter and less tart than the regular variety, but these are subtle notes, most likely due to the addition of grenadine or cranberry to achieve the color. At the end of the day, they’re basically the same.

Similar Drinks To The John Daly

When the sun is high and the heat is coming down hard, nothing beats an ice-cold and thirst-quenching lemonade. I’m a sucker for this sweet and tart citrus treat, and will guzzle all manner of them at the drop of a hat. In fact, no kidding, I’m enjoying a tall glass of Newman’s Own right now as I peck away at these words. And once I’m done, I’m going to add a little something-something to make my drink extra special. And I have these recipes below to help me out.

• Pink Lemonade Vodka – Sweet, strong and ready for a party, this simple recipe is always a hit.
• Lynchburg Lemonade – This classic combines Jack Daniels, lemon juice and lemon-lime soda for a great summertime dram.
• Shandy Beer – One of my very favorite concoctions to enjoy on a warm, sunny Saturday.
• Bourbon Lemonade – Smoky and tart, this is one citrusy tipple that’ll keep you sweet.