Grilled Peach and Basil Arnold Palmer…with or without Bourbon.
I think it should be mandatory that every summer day have a good drink!
Boozy or not, totally up to you, but a hot, sun filled day needs an ice-cold drink.
PLUS, this drink would be awesome while eating this BLT, from yesterday’s post. The two just go hand in hand if you ask me AND I could not think of a better mid-late July Tuesday meal…
Also, mid-late July? How the heck did that happen. Like NO… summer stop going so fast!
August is approaching at a frightening speed – YIKES. The good, good, good news is that with August, all the summer produce will really be in its prime.
Which really means PEACHES!! All the peaches, all the time! Yes!
I have been waiting to make this Arnold palmer all summer long. It just felt so much like a July recipe that I couldn’t post it in June when I originally thought of it. This recipe just screams July, AKA – the dog days of summer!!
So another one of my random ramblings here, I took a little break from typing just now, because you know, I can’t focus for more than like 5 minutes before my mind moves on to something else (issues….I got um). So I took a break to read some mail and I am so happy I did. Normally my mail is all junk – taxes, bills and things that I really have not a clue what to do with, since that part of adulthood just has not been comprehended by my brain yet…help.
BUT, the good mail came from my oldest brother Creighton. He sent me the sweetest letter thanking me for making the trek to Cleveland for his birthday (photo at the end of post!). Honestly, I didn’t even know he liked me that much, but guys, after reading his letter, I feel like a pretty special and loved sister, I mean, jeez, know how to make a girl smile or what?!?
But this grilled peach and basil Arnold Palmer, which I do think would receive the Creighton stamp of approval, is so refreshing and delicious. Actually, I think all my brothers would highly approve of this drink (if they were here, they are kind of all over the country right now). I could see Creighton especially enjoying this drink while floating the river on a hot sunny day, most likely with a pretty good dose of bourbon. But really, Arnold Palmers are his thing. He may not technically be southern, but he loves all southern things. i.e sweet, tea, cornbread, fried chicken, gravy and biscuits. Although, I do not actually know if he likes peaches (I know, what?!?!), either way he’d still be all over this (I might just have to call it an Arnold Palmer and leave it at that though).
This tea is the simplest thing to make and it’s kind of perfect in every which way. I love the balance of tea and lemonade and those sweet peaches give the bestest flavor. I grilled them to really bring out all of their sweetness and taste. Then I paired them with just a little basil for an extra kick of summer flavor. I also used honey to sweeten this because I prefer it to sugar. Plus, in my mind, honey is a healthy ingredient, so that makes this a healthy and refreshing drink.
Cool!
Oh and about the bourbon thing, you can take it or leave it, but all I am saying is that if your Tuesday is lagging, go for it.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Grilled Peach and Basil Arnold Palmer...with or without Bourbon.
By halfbakedharvest
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Keyword: basil, bourbon, peach
I think it should be mandatory that every summer day have a good drink!
Ingredients
- 2 peaches cut into wedges
- 5-6 cups water
- 5 black tea bags
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 cup honey
- zest from 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup bourbon * optional
Instructions
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Preheat the grill to high heat.
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Grill the peaches until soft and caramelized, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from the grill.
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Bring two cups of water to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the tea bags + basil. Cover and steep for 10 minutes. Strain the tea into a pitcher. Discard the tea bags and basil.
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Meanwhile, place the grilled peaches and lemon juice in a blender and blend until completely smooth. If desired, you can strain the mixture through a thin kitchen cloth to remove the pulp. Just make sure to squeeze all the juice out.
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To the pitcher with the basil tea, add the remaining 3 cups cold water, the peach/lemon mixture, the honey, lemon zest and bourbon (if using). Place in the fridge and chill until cold, at least one hour. Taste, if too sweet add another cup of cold water or more ice cubes.
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Serve over ice and garnish with grilled peaches, basil and lemons if desired. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*You can use as little or as much bourbon as you like. *This will last about a week in the fridge.
I mean, it is summer, so anything goes, right?!?
Ok and just incase you are curious…here is a photo of my bro and I + Tori who ended up in the photo too!
I LOVE these! Firstly they look SO pretty but secondly, grilled peach and basil! Sounds so refreshing and perfect for summer – will be making these at the weekend! x
You know, maybe if wife brought this drink out to me while working and doing her honey-do list, I’d be a little more motivated to get it done. Like the photo at the end of you and your brother, will show wife, just not this comment. She says there’s not too many pics of you on this blog and she’s going to like your dress too, I can just tell!
Haha! Thanks Tom!
This sounds so delicious and I am pretty sure this wouldn’t last a day in my house !
Definitely going to try this 🙂
Lovely pic of you, your brother and Tori 🙂
Thanks so much, Lynne! Hope you had a great day!
Grilled peach and basil?! Talk about the ultimate summer drink! This is perfect, and I’m totally giving this a try!
Thanks so much, Alexa! Hope you had a great day!
I believe I will give this one a try!!
http://bloglairdutemps.blogspot.pt/
Thanks! Hope you love it!
That’s so cool that you have so many great big brothers, and of course they love you! So this drink is without a doubt one of the most tempting things ever!
p.s. I’m having a big group 20 to 24 year-old guys at my house and I want to make either your spinach artichoke stuffed pretzels or your broccoli cheddar turnovers! Which do you think they’d like better?
Thanks Tori!!
And the probably the pretzels. They are always a hit! Hope you guys have fun!!
Love the photo! As a southerner, who makes 3-4 gallons of tea a day…I know we have a problem…Never squeeze your tea bags. It’s just wrong! Releases tannins & makes for a bitter brew. This is not true of herbal or green tea thou, squeeze those
Thanks Sarah! Also, thanks so much for letting me know about that. Totally makes sense and I edited the recipe. THANKS!
Oh man, such a delicious summer drink! Love the peaches in there!
Thanks Katrina!
This look so refreshing and with the heat wave we are having right now it’s perfect timing! Love the picture Tieghan!! So great!
Thanks Kathy!!
Um, look at those grilled peaches! In a drink! This is so summer. It looks so good and I need one right now at 8:45am. 🙂
Thank you so much, Beth! Hoping you had a great day and relaxed with a fun drink tonight! 🙂
Wow, I never thought of making a drink with grilled peaches before! It looks so refreshing and delicious!
Thanks so much! Hope you had a great day!
Wow, grilled peaches in a drink? This looks stunning!
How beautiful! This looks like the perfect thing for a hot and humid summer day! I would have never thought to grill the peaches before adding them, but it sounds genius! The picture at the end is so sweet. Thanks for sharing!
xx Sydney
Thanks so much, Sydney! 🙂
I could sip this all summer long, and bring on the bourbon! Such a cute pic, he looks seriously thrilled! 🙂
Thanks so much, Laura!!
Aaaaw Tieghan, you look so sweet! It really seems that your brother enjoys spending time with you.
Btw I never comment, so I fix this mistake and have to write that I love every single one of your recipes. The photos are amazing! They often take my breath away!
I want this so badly!! But I don’t have a grill…