Curious #8 Blackberry Amaro N.a. Recipe

Macerate and Muddle

Place the fresh blackberries in a mixing glass or cocktail shaker. Add the demerara (dark brown sugar) syrup and lemon juice. Use a muddler to press and crush the berries thoroughly for about 20–30 seconds until they are broken down and release their juices.

Add Non‑Alcoholic Amaro

Pour in the non‑alcoholic bitter/amaro substitute. Stir or gently shake with no ice for 5–10 seconds to combine flavors and begin extracting bitter and herbal notes from the amaro substitute into the blackberry mash.

Strain

Double‑strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer (and optionally a hawthorne or julep strainer) into a separate container to remove seeds and large solids. You should have a concentrated, deeply colored blackberry‑amaro syrup roughly 3–4 oz in volume.

Combine with Tonic/Tea

Add the non‑alcoholic herbal tonic or chilled black tea to the strained blackberry‑amaro concentrate and stir gently to combine. Taste and adjust: if it’s too tart, add up to 0.25 oz more sugar syrup; if too sweet, add 0.25 oz more lemon juice.

Prepare Glass

Fill a rocks glass or short Collins glass with crushed ice or ice cubes (about 1 cup).

Build the Drink

Pour the combined blackberry‑amaro‑tonic mixture over the ice. Top with the chilled sparkling water to add lift and effervescence. Give a gentle stir (2–3 turns) to marry layers without over‑diluting.

Express Orange Oil and Garnish

Hold the orange peel over the drink and gently squeeze to express the oils across the surface, then rub the peel around the glass rim and drop it into the drink. Skewer or float 2 fresh blackberries on a pick and rest on the glass. Optionally, tuck a small sprig of fresh herb (mint or thyme) for extra aroma.

Serve

Serve immediately while chilled and effervescent. Provide a short stirrer or straw so drinkers can integrate any settled fruit at the bottom before sipping.