vegan | wfpb | refined sugar-free | quick | easy | spring | summer | 30 minutes or less

If you want to add a colorful pop of happiness to your next gathering, here’s a beautiful drink that will do the trick. This glass of cheer has flavors that sing. The peach, blueberry, and almond notes create sweet harmony - but not too sweet. Lemon brings a pleasant tartness for that sour. This a drink that seems fancy yet it’s very simple to make and so so SO much better than that same old fruit punch or lemonade. It’s perfect for a springtime celebration, a wedding or baby shower, a summertime cocktail hour, or a weekend treat at home with your honey. Since there’s a mocktail option, the kids can enjoy it, too.

You can have drinks ready within 10 minutes (other than thawing time if working with frozen fruit). The recipe below serves up to five, depending on whether you’re serving cocktails or mocktails; feel free to calculate the amount you need, whether it’s cocktails for two or a dozen. You can add it the cocktail/mocktail mix to a pitcher ahead of time when serving a group and then add the seltzer right before serving. Keep in mind that kids love receiving a pretty mocktail like this in a fancy glass - I mean, don’t we all? A tall glass is especially fun because the bubbles cause the frozen blueberries to rise and fall in the glass. If you’re going for cocktails, it’s a pretty drink with amaretto. You’re welcome. These brands of amaretto are known to be vegan: Lazzaroni, Amarito, DuBouchett, Di Amore, Luxardo, Soiree, and Bella Veroni. If you know of another vegan amaretto, please mention it in the comments. Even if the ingredients are vegan, sometimes non-vegan practices are used in the making of certain alcohols, unfortunately, so it’s good to know where to find the vegan versions.

Blueberry Peach Amaretto sour Cocktails or Mocktails

vegan | wfpb | refined sugar-free | quick | easy | spring | summer | 30 minutes or less

PREP TIME: 5 minutes | SHAKE & POUR TIME: 5 minutes | TOTAL TIME: 10 minutes + thaw time if using frozen fruit

Makes 5 cocktails or 4 mocktails

Note: This drink is more of a special-occasion or weekend cocktails sort of drink than a bunch-bowl type, so I like serving it in special glasses. If serving a crowd, just calculate how much you’ll need and pour the cocktail/mocktail mix into a pitcher that you can then pour into glasses when the time’s right. Simply add the seltzer right before serving so that it stays bubbly. The recipe is based on using cocktail glasses, which typically hold about ¾ cups, so to make sure you’ll have enough for everyone, serve into similar-sized cups if you don’t have enough cocktail glasses.

You can choose how many ounces of amaretto you’d like. I’ve found 3 ounces work well flavor-wise for serving 5, but you can of course add however much you’d like. More ounces means more overall volume, so you will have enough to serve bigger drinks if you add more amaretto.

Working with coconut nectar is great - it’s got a nice unique flavor, with caramely floral notes. It doesn’t need refrigeration. It can be challenging to pour, so if it’s just not moving when you tip the bottle, heat it up first in a small pot of water to make it less viscous.

ingredients

• 20 blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed

• a few frozen blueberries per glass for garnish (optional)

• 6 peach slices, fresh or frozen, thawed

• 3 ounces lemon juice (about one large)

• 2 ounces coconut nectar or maple syrup

• ⅜ teaspoon almond extract or 3 ounces amaretto

• 2 ½ cups lemon or plain sparkling water per drink

• a scoop of ice

instructions

1. In a cocktail shaker, muddle the blueberries and peaches with the coconut nectar or maple syrup.

2. Add the almond extract (for mocktails) or amaretto (for cocktails) and ice and shake your heart out.

3. If you prefer, use a fine mesh strainer under the shaker to strain the drink further when pouring into the glasses. That way, you’ll avoid little bits of blueberry and peach in your drink. (I’ve served it both ways with no complaints.)

4. Pour three tablespoons into each of four glasses, then add a half cup sparkling water to each glass.

5. Float the frozen blueberries in each glass if desired (optional, but fun) and serve.