Lactose Free Herbal Arnold Palmer with Fresh Herbs
The classic Arnold Palmer gets a garden-fresh upgrade here, layering black tea steeped with mint and basil — plus an optional hint of lavender — against bright, freshly squeezed lemonade. Every single ingredient in this drink is naturally free of dairy, so there's nothing to swap, substitute, or second-guess. The herbal steeping step is where the magic happens: pressing those fresh leaves through a fine-mesh strainer pulls out every last bit of flavor before the tea ever hits your glass. A quick homemade simple syrup ties the lemonade together with just the right sweetness, no store-bought shortcuts needed. The result is a tall, ice-cold drink that feels genuinely special — floral, citrusy, and refreshing in a way that a plain iced tea just can't compete with. It's the kind of thing you'll want to batch up for a backyard gathering and watch disappear faster than you expected.
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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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