Sparkling Arnold Palmer

A Sparkling Arnold Palmer drink is the ultimate summer refreshment. This recipe uses homemade lemonade and iced tea concentrates combined with sparkling water for a bubbly twist!

Friends, I miss cocktails…

I know that sounds super shallow to say right now, but I can’t help it. I’m one full trimester in and with the weather heating up, I just want something cold, crisp, and refreshing.

Preferably with a little buzz… Of course the little bean inside wouldn’t be super thrilled about that, SO I am actually turning to alternatives without alcohol.

It’s super weird for me, because I never really got into making mocktails at home. Occasionally I would make one for the blog, but it was never a go-to unless someone else was making it for me.

All that has changed now though, hasn’t it?! HAHAHAHAHA.

So here I am with my current favorite summer non-alcoholic drink for a hot day. I have been SUPER into arnold palmers (really any tea with lemonade) lately. The tang and slight sweetness with the tiny hit of caffeine have been something my preggo brain goes nuts for. It’s that perfect balance of half lemonade and half iced-tea.

Since I am making them SO often and am equally obsessed with any type of bubbly water, I made this!

The base of the recipe is actually two concentrates – one for lemonade and one for iced tea.

What does that mean?

You get quadruple the flavor in less liquid so you can add them to sparkling water without diluting the drink itself.

I have these concentrates in our fridge at all times now. The simplest drink to make for myself (and one that’s easy for the Man to make on days when I am too tired to get my butt out of bed) without any artificial flavors. It’s the best refreshing drink while also being a twist on a classic drink.

Other yummy nonalcoholic drink recipes: Mango Mojito Mocktail | Tropical Mimosa Mocktail | Frozen Berry Ginger Lemonade | Sparkling Cider Blackberry Peach Bellini Mocktail

this recipe’s must-haves

You will need a couple of pitchers, like this pitcher or this copper pitcher, to make the concentrates in. I also like to store the concentrates in large resealable containers if I’m planning to keep it in the fridge for up to a week!

A long wooden spoon is also helpful to stir everything together. I prefer the longer one for larger batches when I am doubling the concentrates.

let’s make a sparkling arnold palmer! 

Make iced tea concentrate

To start, add water to a small pitcher with the tea bags. Set it in a sunny and warm place for about 4 hours until the mixture is nice and dark. I personally like to leave mine outside in direct sunlight, but you can also set it in front of the window where the sun streams in. I love the sun brew method, but you can also do the hot brew method by adding the tea bags to hot water brought to a boil in a small saucepan. Let steep until very strong, about 20 minutes.

Make lemonade concentrate

Stir together lemon juice, sugar, and water until the sugar is completely dissolved. Then set it in the fridge, along with the iced tea concentrate, until you are ready to make your drink!

Make sparkling arnold palmer

To make the drink, simply pour in a few ounces of lemonade concentrate with sparkling water over ice in your favorite glass like a highball glass and stir together. Float a couple of ounces of the iced tea concentrate on top and garnish! I think a garnish of a lemon slice and sprig of thyme or fresh mint looks simple and gorgeous 🙂

got questions?

What type of tea should I use?

I prefer to use black tea for my drink because I think it goes best with lemonade and bubbles. However, green tea is also a killer option!

Can I use bottled lemon juice?

I HIGHLY recommend using fresh lemon juice because the flavor is so much better. However, if you are in a pinch, bottled lemon juice will work just fine. It might be a little more tart though!

how can I make this iced tea lemonade different?

Add a little basil simple syrup! Stir in 1/2 ounce to 1 ounce of basil simple syrup to add an herbaceous sweetness to the drink. You can also use strawberry lemonade instead of tart lemonade in the concentrate. Just add fresh strawberry puree!

Another option is to turn it into a cocktail! Add in some vodka, rum, or bourbon for a summery spiked arnold palmer drink for the grown ups.

Finally, if you make this sparkling arnold palmer beverage recipe, please be sure to give this recipe a star recipe rating on the recipe card and/or leave a comment! I love to hear when you all make recipes, and I do take the time to respond to every single comment.

Feel free to drop questions below too, if you have them!

Oh and be sure to tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest if you make the recipe! I love being able to see these recipes come to life in your homes – it’s my favorite thing to look through those photos. It really means the world to me!

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