2025 Annual Food & Drink Issue

Berry & Bloom Mocktail Recipe

Making Mocktails

Locals Share Alcohol-Free Recipes

In recent years, mocktails have taken the world by storm as a fun, delicious, and inclusive alternative to alcoholic beverages. From wellness mocktails that offer a host of health benefits to flavorful takes on classic sodas, here are five refreshing recipes from Chattanooga locals. Cheers!

Photography by Rich Smith

“This recipe is one I truly love as it speaks to my passion for creating health-conscious drinks for others with my love and respect for herbalism. I often make shrubs with apple cider vinegar because of its health benefits. That being said, not everyone enjoys the taste of vinegar (myself included!). This drink is one I offer to people as my sort of ‘gateway’ shrub. I’ve never served a strawberry basil shrub to someone and had them express distaste in it. While the shrub itself is quite acidic, I find the lemon verbena tea brightens it with some herbal sweetness (as well as a slight bitterness), and topping it with effervescent lemon soda water makes this a light, enjoyable beverage.”

A hand holds a tall glass of pink drink with ice, topped with a raspberry and a green straw, against a soft pink background.

Berry & Bloom

Kaleena Goldsworthy

Made with strawberry basil shrub, lemon tea, and sparking water, Kaleena Goldsworthy's Berry & Bloom is sure to delight.

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Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Servings 1

Ingredients

For the strawberry basil shrub:

8 oz. apple cider vinegar
4 oz. honey
1 cup strawberries chopped
1 handful fresh basil

For the Berry & Bloom:

0.75 oz. strawberry basil shrub
0.5 oz. strong lemon verbena tea
4 oz. lemon sparkling water

Instructions

For the strawberry basil shrub:
Combine all ingredients and allow to macerate for up to two weeks.
This can be expedited by combining all elements over low heat until the honey is dissolved and the basil is fragrant and bright.
For the Berry & Bloom:
Combine the strawberry basil shrub with the lemon verbena tea. Stir to combine.
Top with lemon sparkling water.

Keyword basil, lemon verbena, Mocktail, Strawberry, strawberry basil shrub, tea

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