Healthy Mixed Berry Tonic

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This simple berry tonic recipe is going to be a favorite this summer! It includes a mix of your favorite berries, lemon juice, a little sweetener and sparkling water. Makes for such a delicious, hydrating, antioxidant-rich and stunning chilled drink to enjoy under the sun.

Front view on a serving plater topped with 2 tall glasses of a berry tonic filled with ice cubes with more berries and mint around.

This berry tonic is the kind of recipe you should be making on repeat this summer: it is ultra refreshing, fairly easy and quick, energizing, very flavorful and it highlights antioxidant-packed and fiber-rich berries.

I was actually inspired by one of Dr. Sherzai's recipe that she shared on her instagram (@thebraindocs) where she makes a berry chia sparkling drink. I though it was such a great way to enjoy berries and I have tweaked it and made my own recipe since then.

I actually already have a few berry-focused chilled summer drinks we already love to make, such as these strawberry mojito mocktail, strawberry bubble tea and blueberry lavender lemonade, but this berry tonic is going to be another favorite for sure! It is so versatile and amazing to make during berry season.

Also, it is loaded with a generous amount of berries and there is no straining required, meaning that all the nutritional values from the fruits are kept intact. This makes it a great drink recipe to help you enjoy more fruit and boost your diet with extra fiber in a fun different way. You will LOVE it and what a tasty way to stay hydrated on a hot day.

And one of the best parts about this recipe is how easy it is to prepare: all you have to do is make the berry syrup simply by blending fruit + lemon + water + sweetener, then this beautiful and vibrant berry concentrated is combined with sparkling water to make it bubbly and crisp.

You can also keep the berry syrup in the fridge to make sparkly berry drinks later in the week in 2 minutes and without any fuss, which is super convenient too if making it for a gathering.

This non alcoholic drink is made for everyone, from adults to kids to pregnant women and if you are left with extra berry syrup, then you can even use it over pancakes, oatmeals, ice cream, etc.

Next time you are invited to a potluck or BBQ, make this drink instead of bringing food, I bet everyone will get excited for it and it will be a nice change! I hope you give it a try! ❤️

Front angle view on 2 glasses with a berry tonic.

Highlights of this recipe

Easy, quick and great for meal-prep
Nutrient-packed and rich in fiber + antioxidants
Refreshing drink perfect for the summer
Can easily be customized to your taste
Great to serve to a crowd
Non-alcoholic drink that can be served to everyone
Naturally vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free

Ingredients you'll need

Berries: I used a mix of blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries, but you can absolutely use other fruit.
Lemon: adds a delicious tangy flavor and brightens up the whole drink.
Sweetener: I used maple syrup, which I think is the sweetener of choice for drinks as it dissolves easily without leaving a grainy texture and adds a nice flavor too. Simply use as much as needed to balance out the flavor to your taste, which will depend on how naturally sweet your berries are.
Mint: totally optional, but adding just a few leaves really freshens up the drink and adds color too.
Sparkling water: I used a raspberry flavored sparkling water to intensify the berry flavor even more, but use any kind you like or have. A lemon flavored carbonated water would work well too. If you don't like sparkling water so much, then I recommend you to use unflavored Pellegrino as I find the bubbles to be much more subtle.

Showing are the ingredients needed to make this recipe.

How to make a berry tonic

There are essentially 2 steps to making this berry tonic, which you can make all at the same time or meal-prep the syrup ahead. If serving during a gathering, then I highly recommend making the berry syrup the day before!

Make the berry syrup

In a blender, add the berries, lemon juice, maple syrup (start with just a little bit) and water.

Blend on high until as smooth as possible. Then, taste and adjust sweetener and lemon juice to your taste.

Transfer the syrup into a sealable jar and either use it right away or store in the fridge to use later.

Make the tonic

When ready to enjoy your tonic drink, then fill a tall glass with lots of ice cubes, then add some berry syrup (2-4 tablespoons) and then, fill up with sparkling water.

You can also add a few leaves of mint for a nice boost of freshness.

Stir and serve right away with a straw. Enjoy!

In process picture: add berries, lemon juice, maple syrup and water to a blender.

Helpful tips

Using fresh berries to make a fruit syrup means that it will likely contain some seeds. Especially if not using a high-speed blender, then you might have more texture in your drink, which is something I actually enjoy. But, if you prefer a smoother result, then feel free to strain the berry syrup using a fine mesh colander to discard most seeds and larger pieces. Or if you feel more like a water consistency, then you can make a fruit-flavored water instead!
Similarly to making a mojito, you can muddle some mint leaves at the bottom of your glass before pouring the other ingredients in. This will help release their natural oils and flavor.
You can check on the natural sweetness of your berries: you might not need to add any sweetener at all! On the opposite end, if you need to make it sweeter, but want to avoid adding extra maple syrup or other refined sweeteners, then add a few pitted cherries (fresh or frozen), which are normally full of sweet flavor.

View on a jar with a berry concentrated syrup. — Berry syrup

Serving suggestions

This berry tonic refreshing drink is amazing enjoyed on a hot summer day under the sun to help you stay hydrated in such a healthy way. You get to have a stunning drink that feels special, but without the alcohol, this is the best!

I recommend you to pair this refreshing drink with more seasonal light snacks and make it a perfect summer afternoon treat or healthy appetizer to share with friends. Try pairing it with tortillas chips or pita wedges and a dip, such as:

As mentioned before, this berry syrup can also be served in different ways, which is great if you are left with extra and want to use it other than making drinks. Try these ideas:

Pour over pancakes. Try over these silken tofu pancakes or these buckwheat banana pancakes for a perfect match.
Mix in overnight oats to add flavor, color and nutrients. It would work especially great in this vanilla overnight oats recipe.
Make a spiced chia pudding and drizzle some berry syrup over at serving. It would pair amazingly with this warm chia pudding.
Turn it into a chia jam! You can check out my blueberry chia jam to get inspiration.

Close up on a tall glass of a bright red sparkling water made with a berry syrup with fresh mint in the background.

Variations to the recipe

This recipe is very versatile and you can definitely make it your own depending on your preferences or what you have in the house. Here are a few ideas to inspire you:

Fruit: you can play around with your choice of berries and fruits, there are no rules to follow! I like a mix of blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries, but simply use what you have, it will be amazing I'm sure. You can even use fruit other than berries if that's more convenient, such as cherries, peaches, mango and even oranges.
Mojito style: swap the lemon juice for lime juice and also, blend a few leaves of mint with the berries to make a mojito inspired fresh drink! When serving, add plenty of extra mint and make sure to muddle them in the bottom of your glass alongside extra lime wedges to make it zestier and more herbal.
Boost in nutrients: add a tablespoon of chia seeds (and about ¼ cup extra of water) to your berry syrup once done blending. Then, be sure to let it rest for at least an hour before serving. If you find the syrup to be too thick after resting time, then simply add more water to adjust. This is an amazing trick to add more plant-based protein and fiber to your diet, add chia seeds to your drinks!
Herbs: swap the mint for other fresh herbs, such as basil or thyme.

Close up on the top portion on a tall glass of berry tonic filled with ice cubes.

Storage tips

I recommend to make the berry syrup ahead of time and transfer in a sealable jar to keep in the fridge until ready to use. It should stay good and fresh for up to 3 days, simply give it a good shake before using. Then, you can make a berry tonic so quickly.

Once the berry tonic is combined, then enjoy right away to make the most of all the bubbles.

FAQ's

Can I make a pitcher using this recipe?

Yes! You should be able to make 5-6 drinks (or even more) with the batch of berry syrup, so feel-free to pour it all in a large pitcher, fill up with ice cubes, lemon wedges and more berries for a nice look, and then pour as much sparkling water as you want (about 8-10 cups). Stir and serve right away.

Can I make it with frozen berries?

Yes you can! Although, try to let them thaw slightly to make it easier to blend to a smooth consistency. Make sure to include all that delicious juice from thawing the fruit into the blender!

Can I freeze the syrup?

Freezing the syrup is great meal-prep trick to make berry tonics regularly and quickly. Simply freeze the syrup in an ice cube tray, then transfer in a container once frozen and use one cube at the time per drink. Simply add the frozen cube to your serving glass and pour the sparkling water over, it should thaw fairly quickly and flavor the drink gradually at it melts.

Overhead view on a plater containing 2 tall glasses of a berry tonic filled with ice cubes and fresh mint.

More summer refreshing drinks to try

I hope you enjoy this berry tonic recipe as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!

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