Pescatarian Herbal Arnold Palmer with Fresh Herbs
This drink is the ultimate warm-weather refresher — a classic half-and-half taken somewhere far more interesting with the addition of fresh mint, basil, and optional culinary lavender steeped right into the tea. The herb-infused black tea brings a floral, garden-fresh depth that pairs beautifully with the bright, tart lemonade made from real squeezed lemons and a quick homemade simple syrup. Every sip is cooling, fragrant, and just sweet enough without tipping into sugary territory. Since this recipe is built entirely from fresh produce, pantry staples, and dried herbs, there's absolutely nothing to second-guess about what's in your glass. It's the kind of drink that looks stunning in a tall ice-filled glass with a sprig of mint and a lemon wheel on the rim, making it just as fitting for a backyard gathering as it is for a quiet afternoon on the porch. Make a big pitcher and keep it in the fridge — it's the kind of thing people will ask you for the recipe on immediately.
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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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