with cocktail and mocktail options
This blueberry peach "fancy drink" recipe is really easy, even though the result may not look like it. Fresh or frozen fruit can be used, so you can really raise a toast any time of year. Make cocktails or mocktails, they're beautiful and tasty either way! These drinks only take about 10 minutes to make. Refined sugar-free, vegan.
Here's a beautiful drink that can add a colorful pop of happiness to your next gathering. This glass of cheer has flavors that sing. The blueberry, peach, 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.
Ingredients and substitutions
Fresh or frozen peaches and blueberries are the star ingredients, along with the almond-flavored amaretto. Supporting ingredients are lemon juice, coconut nectar or maple syrup, sparkling water, and ice. Lemon or other citrusy flavors of sparkling water work well here.
Amaretto: Unfortunately, animal-based materials are still used in the processing of some alcohol. To ensure your amaretto is vegan, look it up through an online resource like barnivore.com. These brands of amaretto are known to be vegan: Lazzaroni, Amarito, DuBouchett, Di Amore, Luxardo, Soiree, and Bella Veroni.
Make it a mocktail:
Use almond extract instead of amaretto, which is an almond-based liqueur. The amount of extract required is much less than the amaretto; see the recipe below for quantities.
equipment
You will just need a cocktail shaker to make these drinks. You can use a fine mesh strainer too, if you'd like to strain the drinks more thoroughly.
The recipe makes four drinks, so four cocktail glasses (or glasses you're fine drinking cocktails out of) will also be required.
instructions
You can have drinks ready within 10 minutes (other than thawing time if working with frozen fruit).
We start by adding to the shaker the peaches, blueberries, lemon juice, and coconut nectar or maple syrup, then muddling. To muddle, use a muddler tool or a utensil to press and stir the fruit so that the flavors can mingle. Then add the amaretto or almond extract with the ice and shake that shaker! Pour equally into four cocktail glasses, then pour equal amounts of sparkling water on top.
Serving:
For a crowd: Once shaken, you can pour the mix into a pitcher ahead of time when serving a group and then add the seltzer right before serving.
For kids: 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. For the young ones, stick to childproof cups.
Make popsicles! The mocktail version of this drink can be used to make popsicles! The blueberry peach combo is perfect for this. Avoid freezing the cocktail version, since generally alcohol doesn't freeze and different types have different reactions to freezing, some of which can be dangerous.
Simply pour the prepared mocktails into popsicle molds and freeze. Keep in mind, sparkling water will lose its sparkle when frozen.
more cocktails/mocktails
The Recipe
Blueberry Peach Amaretto Sour Cocktails or Mocktails Recipe
Equipment
- cocktail shaker
- fine mesh strainer optional
Ingredients
- 20 blueberries fresh or frozen, thawed
- ½ peach sliced; fresh or frozen, thawed
- 3 ounces lemon juice about one large
- 2 ounces coconut nectar or maple syrup
- 3 ounces amaretto see below for mocktail option
- 1 cup ice
- 2 ½ cups sparkling water about (2) 12-oz cans; plain, lemon, or other citrus flavor
For mocktails
- ⅜ teaspoon almond extract instead of amaretto
Garnish ideas
- blueberries
- peach slices
- herbs
- edible flowers
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, muddle the blueberries and peaches with the coconut nectar or maple syrup.
- Add the almond extract (for mocktails) or amaretto (for cocktails) and ice and shake your heart out.
- Pour three tablespoons into each of four glasses, then add a half cup sparkling water to each glass. 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.)
- Garnish as desired, such as floating frozen blueberries in each glass (optional, but fun) and serve.
Notes
