Muddled Berry Arnold Palmer

 

Uh oh, it looks like we have another accidental theme week on our hands. Last week, it was chocolate, and this week is berries. I don’t know where this berry infatuation came from. Maybe a subliminal swan song as summer comes to an end? Both berry-anything and Arnold Palmers are perfect summer foods.

 

I don’t know what kind of rock I have been living under, but the first time I ever heard of an Arnold Palmer was a couple of years ago when my coworker ordered one at lunch. It was an hour before a hugely important client meeting, so I was a little taken aback. I thought it was a(n alcoholic) cocktail.

 

Turns out, it’s not. But it probably would be great with some vodka or rum added. Just, you know, maybe not an hour before a huge client meeting. (The boozy version might be just the right thing to serve at your Labor Day picnic!)

 

 

It turns out that Arnold Palmers, minus the proper name, were a childhood favorite of mine that I had forgotten about, so I have been nostalgically making them at home all summer. They are great any time of the day, and if you aren’t a big coffee person, are a great way to start a hot summer morning. I also highly recommend using a glass of this, including the soaked berries, in a fruit smoothie.

 

Arnold Palmers are also naturally gluten-free, grain-free, and vegan, and my version below is also paleo and sugar-free. Ultimately, you can’t go wrong if you have a pitcher of this in your fridge this summer!

 

 

Cooking instructions:

1. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in the microwave or over the stove, remove from heat, add tea bags, cover, and set aside to steep and cool.
2. Bring 3 more cups of water to a boil and add lemon juice and honey or agave. Stir until honey is dissolved. Set aside to cool.
3. In a small mixing bowl, defrost the berries (do not discard the juices). Use the back of a spoon or fork to gently mash them to release more juices.
4. Add the berries to a pitcher, and pour the iced tea and lemonade over them. Stir to combine flavors and add more water if the flavor is too strong for you. Alternately, you can combine the iced tea and lemonade in the pitcher and then make the drinks one by one by adding the berries to each glass and pouring the drink over it.

 

Notes:

(1) I used honey but you can substitute liquid stevia if you wish. I don’t know how many drops you will need; just add it little by little until it tastes right to you.

(2) I used a berry mixture consisting of blueberries, raspberries and strawberries. You can use whatever you want and have on hand. As for fresh vs. frozen, I prefer the frozen ones because, once defrosted, they are already a little bit more broken down and have released some of their juices. But if fresh is all you have, give it a try.

(3) Yield: 1 pitcher. Multiply as needed.