Description

A refreshing, naturally vibrant summer drink that balances sweet blackberries, tart fresh lemons, and peppery basil in a sparkling base. It’s easy to make ahead and looks stunning in a glass.

Ingredients

Scale

2 cups fresh blackberries (300g)
1 cup fresh basil leaves (packed, about 30g)
1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
1 cup water (240ml)
6–8 medium fresh lemons (about 1.5 cups juice)
4 cups sparkling water (1 liter)
Ice cubes or crushed ice
Extra basil sprigs for garnish
Whole blackberries for garnish

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, combine blackberries, sugar, water, and basil leaves. Crush the berries with a muddler or spoon to release juice.
Heat over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes until mixture turns deep purple.
Remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes to infuse flavors without bitterness.
Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing gently on berries to extract juice. Discard solids. Let syrup cool to room temperature.
While syrup cools, roll lemons on counter to soften, then juice them to yield about 1.5 cups of fresh lemon juice.
In a large pitcher, combine cooled blackberry basil syrup and fresh lemon juice. Stir well and adjust sweetness/tartness to taste.
Just before serving, add sparkling water and stir gently to preserve bubbles.
Pour over ice and garnish with fresh basil sprigs and blackberries.

Notes

Slap basil sprigs between hands before garnishing to release essential oils. Chill all ingredients before mixing. Add sparkling water only at serving time to maintain carbonation. The syrup can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Category: Beverage
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 glass
Calories: 85
Sugar: 18
Sodium: 2
Fat: 0.2
Carbohydrates: 22
Fiber: 1
Protein: 0.5

Keywords: blackberry lemonade, basil lemonade, sparkling lemonade, summer drink, easy cocktail, mocktail, non-alcoholic drink, homemade syrup