More and more people I know are making the choice to take alcohol permanently out of the equation for a variety of reasons, all of them good. One of them is a very dear friend of mine who recently celebrated her birthday.
Back in the early years of our friendship, we had a brief stint owning and racing a boat together. It sounds much more elaborate than it was — the boat lived on a hard stand, the crew were out on trapeze and we were terrible at keeping up with the maintenance. What was slightly more elaborate was the champagne we always celebrated with at the end of a regatta, regardless of how we did.
Now that this friend no longer partakes in champagne, I know she misses some of the celebration that came with it, so for her birthday I wanted to make a mocktail that felt celebration-worthy. She also loves anything lemon, so I made these Brown Butter Lemon & Raspberry Mini Cakes to go alongside it.
The mocktail itself is tart and lemony, with a little sweetness from homemade raspberry syrup and enough going on that it isn’t just juice in a pretty glass. If bubbles are your thing, you can top it up with a little sparkling water.
And to top off the whole celebration, I found some pink-dusted champagne coupes at my local opportunity shop, which were the perfect vessels for the mocktails and certainly upped the celebration factor for my fabulous friend.
Whether you’re celebrating someone you love, yourself, or simply want a bright and happy drink, this one is worth making.
Worth Making?
- Yes – if you like your mocktails tart, refreshing and reminiscent of a cocktail without the hangover. The Earl Grey and black pepper give the raspberry and lemon some much-needed depth.
- Yes – the touch of salt does what it should: you shouldn’t really taste it, but the raspberry tastes brighter and the whole drink more balanced.
- Skip it – if you’re looking for something sweet and easy-drinking. This is on the tart side, with the tea adding a slightly dry finish. It looks sweet but isn’t.
- Skip it – if raspberry is only there for sweetness in your book. Here it has balanced with lemon, tea and pepper, so this fruity raspberry drink. Looks can be deceiving!
Raspberry Lemon Sour Mocktail
Equipment
- 1 cocktail shaker
Ingredients
- 30 ml 30ml fresh lemon juice
- 25 ml raspberry syrup, recipe below
- 20 ml strong chilled earl grey tea
- 10 ml fresh grapefruit juice
- 15 ml Egg white, aquafaba or 2–3 drops cocktail foamer.
- Lemon peel or a few fresh raspberries, to garnish
Raspberry Syrup
- 150 grams raspberries, fresh or frozen
- 100 grams caster sugar
- 100 ml water
- 2 strips lemon peel
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black peppercorns
Instructions
Raspberry Syrup
- Bring everything except the raspberries to a simmer.
- Add raspberries and cook gently for 2–3 minutes, crushing them lightly.
- Remove from heat, leave for 10 minutes, then strain without aggressively pressing the berries. Chill completely.
Mocktail
- Add lemon, raspberry syrup, tea and grapefruit to a shaker.
- Shake without ice first if using aquafaba/eggwhite, then add plenty of ice and shake hard.
- Double strain into a chilled martini or glass of choice.
- Express a strip of lemon peel over the top and discard it, or garnish with a couple of raspberries.
Make it your own way
- Make it tarter: Add another 5ml lemon juice or slightly reduce the raspberry syrup.
- Softer and fruitier: Leave out the grapefruit and add an extra 5–10ml raspberry syrup.
- Change the tea: English Breakfast will give you a more straightforward backbone; chamomile makes it softer and more floral.
- Add bubbles: Top with a small splash of soda water after shaking if you prefer a slightly longer and bubbly drink.
- Turn it into a cocktail: Add 30ml gin or vodka. Gin gives it more character; vodka lets the raspberry, lemon and Earl Grey remain the focus.
