This sparkling blackberry basil lemonade recipe screams SUMMER!!!! It’s made with fresh berries, a blackberry simple syrup, fresh lemon juice, and herbaceous basil. On top of all that, it has bubbles!
Like most kids, I owned and operated a lemonade stand over quite a few summers. Unlike most kids, I also sold home baked oatmeal cookies and snow cones made with homemade syrups, too. 💅🏻
You see, even before my decades of experience making bespoke beverages, I understood the importance of seasonality. Summer is a time for lemonade stands. It’s a time for berries. And summer is a time for fresh herbaceous flavors. And it’s a time for THIS blackberry basil lemonade mocktail!
why this sparkling berry lemonade recipe works:
💥 bursting with berries. This lemonade has a double-dose of berries: it’s got fresh blackberries and a blackberry simple syrup. This gives the drink a deep berry flavor that really pops!
🥰 family-friendly. This drink is zero-proof, so it’s good for the whole family on a hot summer day. You can also add in a shot of vodka, gin, or tequila if you want to make it into a cocktail, too!
☀️ sun-sational. Blackberry season runs longer than most other berries, with varieties showing up from late spring through fall. This means you can make this drink almost all year long, but it REALLY peaks in the summer.
🛒 ingredients
See the recipe card for the exact quantities.
🍳 instructions
1: Wash, scrub, and dry your lemons to remove dirt, wax, and impurities. Slice the lemon in half, then slice one half into wedges or quarters.
2: Place your lemons in the glass with a few blackberries and fresh basil.
3: Muddle the ingredients well, smooshing everything together to combine the flavors.
4: Add in your blackberry simple syrup on top of the ingredients.
5: Juice the other half of the lemon into the glass.
6: Fill each glass with ice, then fill halfway with sparkling water.
7: Use a cocktail mixing spoon to distribute the muddled ingredients.
8: Pour more sparkling water to fill the glass. Garnish with a lemon wheel, fresh blackberry, and sprig of basil. Serve immediately for maximum effervescence!
Hint: If you want even more lemon flavor, you can add in even more lemon juice!
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💡tips & tricks for getting it right
ℹ️ troubleshooting tips
- too tart – fresh blackberries can be tart or sour, so be sure to taste your drink. If it’s too tart, add in 1/2 ounce more simple syrup. You can also add in a few drops of a homemade saline solution to balance out the tartness!
⚖️ scaling tips
Wanna make a pitcher of lemonade? 😏 You can prepare a large batch of the base by muddling the ingredients in a pitcher first. Store the base in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. Then add in the sparkling water just before serving to your guests.
♻️ substitutions & variations
Missing an ingredient? No problem. Check out these tried-and-true substitutions, or comment below with your question. I’m here to help you troubleshoot!
- still water – if you prefer to go classic and skip the bubbles, you can use still water instead of sparkling.
- swap the herbs – rosemary and blackberries work very well together, too. You can use fresh rosemary or a rosemary simple syrup muddled with the ingredients!
- spiked – create a grown-up lemonade cocktail by adding in a shot of vodka, tequila, or gin!
- strained – if you don’t want to have lemon slices, basil, and berries in your drinks, you can strain the pulp out of the finished drink with a fine mesh cocktail sieve.
🧰 equipment needed & storage tips
🫙 storage tips
Because of the bubbly effervescence, it is best to enjoy this drink shortly after making it. If you do need to prep it ahead of time, you can make the base of the drink first then store it in the fridge until you’re ready to top with sparkling water and serve.
💬 q+a
What if I don’t want the berry pulp in my drink?
You can use a fine mesh sieve to strain out the berry pulp if you prefer a drink with no seeds.
Help! My drink is too sour!
If your drink is too sour, try adding in a bit more blackberry syrup, 1/4-1/2 ounce at a time.
If you make this recipe, please leave a review in the comments and a star rating!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I read every single comment! I also love connecting on social media, so snap a pic and hashtag it #myrecipeforfun and tag me on Instagram, TikTok, or pin this recipe on Pinterest!
Sparkling Blackberry Basil Lemonade (with Blackberry Syrup)
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Equipment
- 1 drinking glass such as a highball glass
- 1 cocktail muddler
- 1 pairing knife
- 1 small cutting board
Ingredients
- 1 ounce blackberry simple syrup
- 1 ounce lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 2 lemon wedges
- 4 fresh blackberries
- 3 basil leaves
- 8 ounces plain sparkling water such as La Croix, to top drink
Instructions
- Wash, scrub, and dry your lemons to remove dirt, wax, and impurities. Slice the lemon in half, then, slice one half into wedges or quarters. Save the other half for juicing later.
- Place 2 lemon wedges in the glass with 4 berries and 3 leaves of fresh basil.
- Muddle the ingredients to combine them in the glass.
- Add in 1 ounce of blackberry simple syrup.
- Juice the other half of your lemon to add 1 ounce of freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Add ice to the glass, and pour in sparkling water to fill the glass halfway.
- Stir the drink with a cocktail spoon to distribute the ingredients throughout the glass, then top with more sparkling water.
- Garnish each drink with a lemon wheel, a fresh blackberry, and a sprig of basil.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- too sour – fresh blackberries can be tart or sour, so be sure to taste your drink. If it’s too tart, add in 1/2 ounce more simple syrup. You can also add in a few drops of a homemade saline solution to balance out the tartness!
- too much pulp – If you prefer your beverage to be without pulp, you can strain the muddled drink through a fine mesh sieve to remove the berries, basil, and lemon wedges before serving.
Nutrition Information
The information provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition facts calculator and actual nutrition facts may vary.
