By Natalia Gill, from An Appetite For Joy
This sparkling, cultured mocktail is filled to the brim with wild summer flavors – fresh mint, ripe blackberries and a spicy-sweet ginger syrup. The bubbliness comes from mineral water and your choice of kombucha or water kefir – fermented beverages that you can easily make at home!
With mint overflowing in a pot on the deck and plenty of kombucha in the fridge, I started making mock classic mojitos to beat the Georgia heat – lime, mint, coconut sugar and kombucha.
But I was craving the addition of ginger so I made a mildly spicy simple syrup using the root and coconut sugar. It was delicious!
Bonus: candied ginger! Did you know that once you make ginger simple syrup, you are one step away from candied ginger? Once you strain the syrup, simply dehydrate the ginger (or bake at a very low temperature). Get step-by-step photos and directions here.
For more refreshing summer drinks, check out these great recipes:
- Fresh Pressed Mock-arita
- Frozen Mango Lemonade
- Stress Relieving Lavender Lemon Balm Iced Tea
- Healthy Summer Lemonade (Stevia Sweetened)
Blackberry Ginger Kombucha Mock-ito
This sparkling, cultured mocktail is filled to the brim with wild summer flavors – fresh mint, ripe blackberries and a spicy-sweet ginger syrup. The bubbliness comes from mineral water and your choice of kombucha or water kefir – fermented beverages that you can easily make at home!
Ingredients:
- 2-3 teaspoons ginger simple syrup (below)
- 1/2 lime, juiced (about 1.5 tablespoons juice)
- 5 mint leaves
- 5 blackberries
- 1/2 cup kombucha
- 1/4-1/2 cup sparkling mineral or soda water
- Ice to fill the glass
Directions:
1. Pour the ginger simple syrup and lime juice into a glass. Add the mint leaves and muddle with a wooden spoon to release the oils.
2. Add 2 of the blackberries and muddle some more.
3. Add the kombucha and sparkling water. Fill the cup with ice and the remaining blackberries.
4. Stir and enjoy!
Ginger Simple Syrup
This spicy-sweet syrup is great in drinks or as a topping for yogurt or ice cream! Makes enough for 2-3 Mock-itos (up to 1/4 cup syrup). Keep refrigerated for up to one month.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced ginger
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar or sucanat
- 1/3 cup water
1. Combine the ingredients in a small pot and bring to a simmer, stirring as the sugar melts. Continue simmering uncovered, stirring occasionally until the volume of liquid reduces by about half. Strain the ginger and cool the syrup to room temp.
- ¼ cup thinly sliced ginger
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar or sucanat
- ⅓ cup water
- Combine the ingredients in a small pot and bring to a simmer, stirring as the sugar melts. Continue simmering uncovered, stirring occasionally until the volume of liquid reduces by about half. Strain the ginger and cool the syrup to room temp.
- 2-3 teaspoons ginger simple syrup (above)
- ½ lime, juiced (about 1.5 tablespoons juice)
- 5 mint leaves
- 5 blackberries
- ½ cup kombucha
- ¼-1/2 cup sparkling mineral or soda water
- Ice to fill the glass
- Pour the ginger simple syrup and lime juice into a glass. Add the mint leaves and muddle with a wooden spoon to release the oils.
- Add 2 of the blackberries and muddle some more.
- Add the kombucha and sparkling water. Fill the cup with ice and the remaining blackberries.
- Stir and enjoy!