The Futuristic Arnold Palmer Cocktail

My dad wasn't much of a drinker. He drank coffee in the morning, and water during the day. But I could imagine him enjoying an Arnold Palmer - a combination of tea and lemon juice - at a party or barbecue.

He was also very interested in science, so I think he would have been amused by a blue tea that would turn colors with the addition of lemon juice. It's a futuristic cocktail that certainly didn't exist during Dad's lifetime, but I think he'd approve.

Perhaps even applaud.

Pink might not be considered a "manly" color these days, but think about it - the pink(ish) and blue sides of the glass could certainly represent boy and girl children of those dads.

For dads who do drink (and for me, too) I've turned this into a cocktail with Crown Royal, which adds nice depth of flavor.

Butterfly pea flower tea might be a little hard to find locally, but it's available online. I got mine from Wild Hibiscus Flower Company.

The Futuristic Arnold Palmer

It's pretty without pink; and the color is natural!

Finely crushed ice
1 cup brewed and chilled butterfly pea flower tea
1 ounce simple syrup
2 ounces Crown Royal Deluxe
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Fill two glasses with the crushed ice.

Combine the pea flower tea, simple syrup, and crown royal. Stir to combine.

Pour the tea mixture over the ice.

Add a teaspoon of lemon juice to the glasses, at the edge of the glass. Stir the juice in on one side of the glass only, to turn half of it pink-purple while leaving the other side blue. Because of the crushed ice, the color doesn't travel quickly throughout the glass, but for best presentation, serve right away.

The color you get is dependent on how strong the tea is and how much acid you add - you can get anything from pink to purple, so it's a good idea to practice a bit if you're hoping to get an exact shade of pink or purple.

Or, if you're into the show, add the lemon juice in front of your guests, and let them marvel at the color change as it happens.

I regularly receive products from the Diageo brands of alcohol for my use.

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