Blackberry, Sage, and Grapefruit Mocktail

Cheers to the first ever mocktail recipe on the blog!  This drink is fruity, floral, tart, and so refreshing!  And obviously, it’s non-alcoholic, so it’s packed with body-loving nutrients, without being dragged down by any booze.

As a former bartender and current recipe developer, I look for spirit free cocktails that deliver big on flavor. I don’t necessarily want to just drink flavored sparkling water all the time, so I’ve been on a mission to create great tasting drinks with a little complexity, and without the need to add alcohol to them.

This drink does just that: it has fruity fresh blackberries, tart grapefruit juice, herbal sage notes, and a little sweetness from a homemade honey syrup. I top this drink with sparkling water because bubbles make everything better, and obviously I already think that sparkling water needs some enhancement anyway. 😉

I planted an herb garden on our balcony about six weeks ago, and my sage is CRAZY big.  I also bought some local blackberries that were freaking huge, so it really seemed to me like they needed to go together.  THEN, when our parents were in town last weekend, we all stopped at the Pinehurst Resort to have lunch.  They were featuring a cocktail with muddled sage and blackberries, and I was like … seriously?  This is so perfect.  So, here you go!  My version … sans booze!

Topping the blackberry and grapefruit juices with sparkling water makes this drink super fun and bubbly.  Give it a gentle stir before serving it, as the juice doesn’t readily mix with the sparkling water once they’re combined.

I also used a gigantic square ice cube for these guys, since it brings a little bit of flair to the whole package.  We bought ours at a store in KC, but you can find them online for a really good price.  They’re so perfect for cocktails, mocktails, neat bourbon, or literally whatever you want to use them for!

Garnishes are like the outfit you want to wear on date night.  You don’t want to overdo it, but you want to feel good about it. Some garnishes contribute a further note to a drink, like a lemon twist in a martini.  Some garnishes help tell the story of what’s in the glass, such as in this case.

I rolled a sage leaf into a small tube, then pierced it with a decorative pick.  I slid a super juicy blackberry onto the pick, too. It’s perfect to nestle right up against the sage leaf.  Eating the blackberry garnish at the end is also like a bonus treat. 🙂

This mocktail is super fresh, and you can feel good about drinking it.  Blackberries are packed with Vitamin C, and grapefruit has a ton of health benefits, as well.  And since this is sans alcohol, there’s no added calories.  The grapefruit juice only has about ten calories, and the blackberry juice is around twenty.  The honey simple syrup adds a few more, but because it’s honey cut in half with water, the calories are cut in half, as well.

So cheers to you, your health, and your week.  This is a drink you can enjoy for lunch, dinner, and happy hour, so keep it on hand!  I hope you enjoy!

-Sara Rose