Eggless Herbal Arnold Palmer with Fresh Herbs
This drink is the ultimate warm-weather refresher — a classic half-and-half elevated with fresh mint, basil, and an optional whisper of lavender steeped right into the tea. The herbal infusion gives the black tea a fragrant, garden-fresh depth that pairs beautifully with the bright, tart lemonade made from real squeezed lemons and a quick homemade simple syrup. Every component is built from scratch using straightforward pantry and produce staples, so there's nothing hidden to worry about — just clean, wholesome ingredients in every glass. Steeping the fresh herbs directly with the tea bags pulls out their oils and aroma without any extra fuss, and straining everything through a fine-mesh sieve keeps the final drink silky smooth. The lemonade side of the equation is equally no-nonsense: fresh juice, cold water, and that cooled syrup come together in minutes. Poured over ice in a tall glass and finished with a sprig of mint and a lemon slice, it looks like something you'd pay too much for at a café — but it's entirely yours to make at home.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the herbal tea
- 4 cups water, divided
- 3 black tea bags
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves, lightly packed
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
- 1 tbsp dried culinary lavender (optional)
For the simple syrup
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
For the lemonade
- ¾ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 4–5 lemons)
- 1 ½ cups cold water
For serving
- ice, for serving
- fresh mint sprigs, for serving (optional)
- lemon slices, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Bring 2 cups of the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat, add the tea bags, mint leaves, basil leaves, and dried lavender (if using), and steep for 5 minutes.
- 2
Remove and discard the tea bags. Strain the tea through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher, pressing the herbs gently to extract their liquid, then discard the solids. Stir in the remaining 2 cups of cold water and let the tea cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
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