The Dark and Sinful

Ingredients:

Blackberries-muddled

Brown Sugar flavored syrup

Bourbon (spiritless Kentucky 74 non-alcoholic substitution)

Orange Zest (Orange juice substitution)

Champagne (White grape sparkling cider substitution)

The Creating Experience

        First and foremost, I’d like to clarify that I don’t consume alcoholic beverages; however, I do enjoy mocktails. In light of this, I’ve included the substitute ingredients I used in this recipe to replace the alcohol. Additionally, I opted for orange juice instead of orange zest, as I find the zest to be a bit overpowering.

        Now, let’s dive into the process of making my mocktail. I began by muddling blackberries at the bottom of my glass. Based on my personal preferences, I added two shots of brown sugar syrup, two shots of Spiritless Kentucky 74, a splash of orange juice, and then filled the rest of the glass with white grape sparkling cider. After mixing with a spoon, I decided to strain out the blackberry seeds before enjoying my drink.

        Initially, I was taken aback by the aroma of the beverage. It had a strong scent that reminded me of clove mixed with something earthy, which was a bit overwhelming and gave me a headache. At that moment, I feared I wouldn’t enjoy my mocktail.

        However, upon tasting it, I was pleasantly surprised to find it quite decent. While it’s not a mocktail I would choose to make for myself, I could definitely see my male siblings enjoying this combination. I managed to finish my drink but opted for some plain white grape sparkling cider afterward to cleanse my palate of the aftertaste from the non-alcoholic bourbon.