Blackberry Sage Mocktail

# What You'll Need:

→ Fruit & Herbs

01 - 1 cup fresh blackberries

02 - 4 fresh sage leaves, plus extra for garnish

03 - 1/2 lemon, juiced

→ Sweetener

04 - 1-2 tablespoons honey or agave syrup, to taste

→ Liquids

05 - 1 cup sparkling water or club soda

→ Ice

06 - 2 cups crushed ice

# How to Make It:

01 - In a cocktail shaker or sturdy glass, muddle the blackberries and sage leaves together until the berries are well crushed and the sage is fragrant.

02 - Add the lemon juice and honey or agave syrup. Stir or shake until the sweetener is completely dissolved.

03 - Fill two glasses with crushed ice.

04 - Strain the blackberry-sage mixture evenly over the ice in each glass, pressing to extract as much juice as possible.

05 - Top each glass with sparkling water and stir gently to combine.

06 - Garnish with extra sage leaves and a few whole blackberries. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -

It tastes fancy and complicated, but honestly takes about ten minutes from fridge to sipping.
The blackberries and sage combination feels sophisticated without requiring any actual alcohol or fancy equipment.
Perfect for people watching their health since it's naturally sweet, vegan, and completely gluten-free.

02 -

Don't mash the blackberries so hard that you crush the seeds into bitter pieces, because that changes the whole flavor profile from bright and fruity to something unexpectedly astringent.
If you forget to use crushed ice and only have regular cubes, crush them yourself in a sturdy bag with a rolling pin or hammer because it actually makes a difference in how the drink tastes as it melts.

03 -

Bruise your sage leaves gently with your fingers before muddling to release the oils and make the flavor come through even more vibrantly.
If you're making this ahead and storing the base, skip the sparkling water and only add it fresh when you're ready to serve, because the drink stays lively and refreshing that way.