Red Meat Allergy Friendly Herbal Arnold Palmer with Fresh Herbs
This garden-fresh spin on a classic half-and-half drink is bright, aromatic, and genuinely refreshing in a way that store-bought versions rarely manage. Steeped black tea gets layered with fresh mint and basil, plus an optional hint of culinary lavender, so every sip carries a little herbal complexity that feels almost fancy without much effort. The homemade lemonade — squeezed from real lemons and balanced with a quick simple syrup — keeps things tart and clean rather than cloying. Because this recipe is built entirely from tea, fresh herbs, citrus, and sugar, it's naturally free from any meat-derived ingredients or hidden animal proteins that can sometimes sneak into flavored syrups and pre-made drink mixes. It's a great option to bring to a gathering where dietary needs vary, since it looks impressive in a pitcher but comes together with straightforward pantry staples. Serve it over plenty of ice with a mint sprig and a lemon slice, and it's the kind of drink that disappears fast.
About FigFig is a food discovery app that helps you find foods and recipes that fit your dietary needs. Whether you have food allergies, intolerances, or follow a specific diet, Fig makes it easy to eat with confidence.
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.
Want the full recipe?
Create a Fig account for step-by-step instructions, access to our full recipe library, and more!