Yeast Free Herbal Arnold Palmer with Fresh Herbs
This drink is the ultimate warm-weather refresher — a fragrant, herb-forward twist on the classic half-and-half that feels genuinely special without requiring much effort. Black tea gets steeped alongside fresh mint, fresh basil, and optional dried lavender, pulling out layers of flavor that no bottled mix could ever replicate. The homemade lemonade is bright and tart, balanced by a quick simple syrup that comes together in just a few minutes on the stovetop. Everything here is naturally free of yeast and fermented ingredients, so you get a sophisticated, complex-tasting beverage without any of the usual concerns about hidden additives or fermentation byproducts. Pouring the tea and lemonade in equal parts over ice creates that gorgeous layered look before you stir it all together. It's the kind of drink that makes a regular afternoon feel like a little occasion.
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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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