This blackberry basil mocktail may be lacking alcohol but it does not lack flavor! The combination of blackberry, basil and lime sparkling water make a tart and sweet drink great for any party or to have at home without the hangover.

One of the ways I find inspiration is to actually go out to restaurants in town and try new things to eat. Sounds super simple, but as someone whose life is consumed by making food at home, it’s not very often that date nights don’t include a trip to five guys or chick fila.

Sad… I know.

On a recent trip to a popular Italian restaurant downtown, I decided to order from the mocktail list. This was unusual for me because I hate “wasting” money on drinks that don’t contain alcohol but the joke is seriously on me because I am 3 months pregnant right now, all I want is a beer and all I can drink are . . . mocktails.

Anyway, I had a blackberry basil mocktail that was SO GOOD. I love when fruit is mixed with basil. Basil is like the perfect herb to pair with sweet things because it’s naturally sweet itself.

And blackberries, don’t get me STARTED on blackberries. They are seriously my favorite berry. Not too sweet, just enough tart and those little beads of juice popping in your mouth. LOVE IT.

I had to recreate this mocktail at home and I am so glad I did because I cannot wait to drink this gem in the summer when I am super pregnant and need something cold and refreshing to help me realize that summer in Charleston does have some perks …. maybe.

A note on sugar:

This recipe calls for granulated sugar. *gasp*

Let me be honest here and tell you that a lot of my recipes going forward are going to be shared that fit in my life and my views of eating and not just through a paleo/keto/whole30 lens. I believe in eating and drinking all types of food and sometimes that means a little of the sweet stuff here and there.

With that said, you can either substitute the sugar in this recipe for whatever sweetener you prefer so long as you test it yourself as different sweeteners have varying sweet levels.

You can leave out the sugar completely. I really DON’T recommend this though since blackberries aren’t incredibly sweet by nature and won’t make this mocktail sweet. However it is up to you! If you are on whole30 or keto, feel free to leave it out! It’s not that it will taste BAD, it just won’t be at it’s highest potential in my opinion but it’s all in the eye of the beholder.

How to make a Blackberry Basil Mocktail:

The first thing you need to do is make a blackberry basil syrup. The recipe below will only make 2 mocktails, so if you want more, double the recipe as necessary and continue.
To make blackberry basil syrup you will need a mortar and pestle to crush up or muddle the blackberry, basil leaves and sugar until it forms almost like a jelly like paste.
Once you get your paste, use an almond milk bag or some cheese cloth to strain out the seeds into a container to get your syrup.
Divide the syrup into 2 glasses, add lime or plain flavored sparkling water, add ice and some basil blackberry garnish and you’re good to go!

Also Try This Hibiscus Sweet Tea!

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