Paleo Sparkling Lemonade Berry Iced Tea
This drink is the ultimate warm-weather refresher — bright, bubbly, and bursting with real strawberry and lemon flavor in every sip. Sweetened drinks can be a minefield when you're avoiding refined sugar and processed ingredients, but this one keeps things clean with maple syrup and fresh-squeezed lemon juice doing all the heavy lifting. Muddling the strawberries by hand pulls out their natural juice and fragrance, giving the whole pitcher a gorgeous rosy color without any artificial dyes or flavored syrups. The lemon zest in the syrup adds a little extra citrus punch that makes this taste far more complex than the short ingredient list suggests. A splash of chilled sparkling water at the end brings the fizz without any sweeteners or additives hiding in a store-bought soda. It's the kind of drink that looks stunning on a table — especially with a mint sprig and lemon slice — but comes together with minimal effort and completely whole-food ingredients.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the tea base
- 4 black tea bags
- 3 cups boiling water
For the lemon syrup
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ¼ cup water
For the berry layer
- 16 medium strawberries, hulled and halved (about 200 g)
For assembling
- 2 cups sparkling water, chilled
- 2 cups ice cubes
For serving
- 4 lemon slices, for garnish (optional)
- 4 fresh mint sprigs, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Place the tea bags in a heatproof pitcher or large measuring cup. Pour the 3 cups of boiling water over them and steep for 4–5 minutes, until the tea is deep amber and full-flavored. Remove the bags without squeezing, then let the tea cool to room temperature, about 20–25 minutes.
- 2
While the tea steeps, combine the maple syrup, lemon juice, lemon zest, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the maple syrup is fully dissolved, about 2 minutes — the mixture should be smooth and slightly steaming but not boiling. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
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