My kids go through fruit faster than I go through chocolate. It’s true. So when I bought blackberries last week I was excited to see just a few berries left, berries for me. However, I was worried if I didn’t eat them soon their fate would be revealed in fuzzy white mold rendering them inedible. It didn’t take me long to decide I didn’t have enough berries to make blackberry jam, so I decided on the next best option.
With Mother’s Day one week away, I decided on making myself a blackberry flavored seltzer. But a plain berry seltzer seemed a little boring so I decided to give it a twist. I muddled basil leaves and blackberries together for one fantastic, refreshing drink. Slightly sweetened with agave syrup, this drink would be perfect to celebrate mom. It’s not very sweet and only uses a few blackberries to slightly flavor the seltzer water. Basil, yes basil, makes this drink special.
Grab a tall glass and fill it with ice. Put a small handful of blackberries on top as well as a couple basil leaves. Using the handle of your favorite kitchen tool or wooden spoon, start crushing the berries and basil down against the ice. This helps release the oils in the basil and the juices in the blackberries. Add a little agave syrup to slightly sweeten the drink. Pour seltzer water to the top and give it a good stir. Enjoy!
This recipe is inspired and slightly adapted from the Neelys.
- ice
- ¼ cup blackberries
- 2 large basil leaves or a few small ones
- 1 tablespoon agave syrup
- seltzer water
- Fill a tall glass halfway with ice. Add blackberries and basil, and muddle both ingredients with the ice. Add agave syrup and a little more ice. Fill the glasses with seltzer water and give it a stir before serving.

I like it when folks come together and share thoughts.
Great site, stick with it!
Just made this! Delicious, but I think it could be a little sweeter. Now I’m daydreaming how to turn this into a cocktail…
I made lemon blackberry cupcakes last night so i have a small handful of blackberries left. I now know what I’ll be doing with those! Thanks for such a great idea 🙂
Everything looks so great and tasty, I wish I could cook better, but with your ideas and your blog it could be possible for me now. Thank you 🙂 KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK
Oh, this looks amazing! And, I just bought a brand new case of S Pellegrino today 🙂 I have a pretty good idea what I’ll be using it for now 🙂
I’m totally making these for Mother’s Day brunch! what a fantastic idea!!
Thi is so pretty!
Oh, I love basil with fruit! This looks outstanding. Can’t wait to try it!
What a delightful little drink you created. Perfect for a hot day
I could totally use a drink of that now! BTW, I just bought some agave syrup. Had no idea it could work in a cold drink. Can’t wait to try.
Sounds wonderful!!
This sounds absolutely refreshing!
YUM, I can’t wait to try this! And it would be fun to mix the fruit options as well, like mango/lemon/mint!
This sounds delightful! I love the basil addition. Yum!
This recipe looks delightful and perfect for Mother’s Day!
I love basil with fruit. This looks so refreshing!
Adding this to the menu for my hubby–he and his brothers are making Sunday lunch for the ladies in the family. The menu is a big secret, but a good drink is a must, so I’ll recommend yours. It looks perfectly refreshing!
Looks so refreshing and pretty!
This looks so refreshing!
This just takes my basil obsession to a whole new level. I love it with fruit!
Beautiful and refreshing!
Very nice, I have a Soda Stream, so this will be helpful. Thanks.