Gluten Free Herbal Arnold Palmer with Fresh Herbs
This drink is the kind of thing you make once and then find yourself craving all summer long. It takes the classic half-and-half concept and elevates it with a steeped blend of black tea, fresh mint, fresh basil, and optional culinary lavender — flavors that are bright, floral, and just a little unexpected. The lemonade side is equally fresh, built from real lemon juice and a quick homemade simple syrup rather than anything from a bottle. Everything here is naturally free of gluten by design, with no specialty swaps or label-reading required — just clean, whole ingredients doing all the work. The herbal tea steeping step is where the magic happens, coaxing deep flavor from the mint and basil before they're strained out for a smooth, gorgeous pour. Served over ice in a tall glass with a sprig of mint and a lemon slice, it looks like something from a restaurant patio without any of the effort. It's a genuinely impressive drink to set out for guests, and equally satisfying to make just for yourself on a slow afternoon.
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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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