This Starbucks Copycat Blackberry Sage Lemonade is made with homemade syrup and lots of freshly squeezed lemon juice! It's so much better than the store-bought version, and it has less sugar! It's easy to make, simple, and it's the perfect refreshing non-alcoholic drink for the summer!
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Why You'll Love This Blackberry Sage Lemonade
Delicious flavor combination - Sage doesn't get enough appreciation, especially in sweet recipes! It's really delicious with berries, so I'm so excited to share this lemonade with you! It's made with homemade syrup with real blackberries, fresh lemon juice, and water. It's refreshing, light, and perfect for summer!
Better than store-bought - This drink is inspired by the Starbucks blackberry lemonade, but it's made with real ingredients, less sugar, and the lemonade is just fresh lemons and water! You know exactly what goes in, and I promise you, everyone will love it!
Easy and simple - I know making your own syrup might sound intimidating, but it's so easy and totally fail-proof! The syrup is so worth the effort, and you can make it ahead. If you have leftover syrup, you can even freeze it to add it to other drinks all summer long!
Ingredients
- Blackberries - You can use fresh blackberries or frozen blackberries for the syrup (no need to defrost them first). I'm combining my Blackberry Syrup and Sage Syrup into one syrup for this drink, but you could also make them separately for more drink variations!
- Cane sugar - I like using cane sugar for most of my syrups because it has a very neutral taste, but it's less processed than white sugar. If you don't want to use sugar, you can use another sweetener like honey or maple syrup, though this might change the flavor.
- Fresh sage - I recommend only using fresh sage for the best flavor. Dried sage won't give you the same fresh flavor.
- Lemon juice - I highly recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice whenever possible.
- Water - You'll need water for both the syrup and the lemonade. I recommend always using filtered water for the best flavor.
Variations and Substitutions
- Different herbs - If you don't have sage, you can also use rosemary or mint. I recommend only using fresh herbs.
- Different berries - This would be delicious with raspberries or blueberries. You can also make a variation with different berries and different herbs. Try my Strawberry Basil Lemonade!
- Citric acid - Starbucks lemonades and refreshers have citric acid that adds a specific tartness that plain lemon juice won't add. I usually skip it to keep these drinks simple and clean, but you can add a tiny bit to the syrup while it's still simmering and simmer for 1-2 minutes until it dissolves.
- Green coffee extract - It's made from unroasted coffee beans. My understanding is that Starbucks refresher base has it mainly just to add caffeine. It doesn't have much flavor, so I just skip it because I think it would be difficult to find for most people. If you have it and want to add some, go ahead!
- Sparkling water - Add soda, sparkling water, seltzer, or club soda either instead of all of the water or some of it to add some bubbles!
- Turn it into a boozy lemonade - You can spike your lemonade with vodka, tequila, or gin by adding a shot to a tall glass and topping it with the blackberry lemonade.
Step-by-Step Instructions
The most important step of this recipe is the homemade syrup. I recommend making it ahead so that once you're ready to make the lemonade, all you need to do is stir everything together. It keeps well in the fridge, so you can make it a few days ahead.
Blackberry Sage Simple Syrup
- Add blackberries, cane sugar, water, and lemon zest (if using) to a medium saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves to prevent it from burning.
- Lower the heat and simmer the syrup for 10 minutes.
- As the blackberries soften, they should be easy to smush against the sides of the saucepan using a fork. This is optional, but I do this around minute 5-8 to release their juices and flavor.
- Add fresh sage and simmer for 5 more minutes.
- Take the mixture off the heat and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. The longer you let it sit, the stronger the sage flavor will be. Be careful not to let it sit for too long to avoid the sage flavor getting too intense.
- Once you’re happy with the flavor, strain the syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl or a large measuring cup. Use the back of a spoon to press down on the blackberries to get as much juice out of them as possible.
- Pour the syrup into a glass jar and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Blackberry Sage Lemonade
- Add blackberry sage syrup and freshly squeezed lemon juice to a large pitcher.
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- Top up with 6 cups of water and stir well to mix everything.
- Add a handful of ice cubes to cool it down, or cool it in the refrigerator.
- Serve the lemonade over ice.
- Garnish with fresh blackberries, lemon slices, and a sprig of sage. Enjoy!
Make-Ahead Options
While I recommend making this drink the day you want to drink it, you can store it in the fridge for a day or two if needed as well. If you're making it ahead of time, I recommend leaving the fresh blackberries out and only adding them for garnish right before serving.
The blackberry sage syrup can totally be made ahead, and you can store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks! You can also juice your lemons the day before to save time.
Syrup Storing
I recommend storing the syrup in an airtight glass jar in the refrigerator (it's not shelf stable). It may need to be stirred before each use, but it keeps really well. Always make sure to use a clean spoon.
You can also freeze the syrup in small freezer-safe containers for up to 3-4 months. I like to pre-measure it, so I always know how much to defrost.
Because of the high sugar content, the syrup never freezes solid, so it's easy to use straight from the freezer. You can also leave it on the counter for 15-30 minutes to defrost it fully.
FAQs
You can freeze it in a freezer-safe container, but not an ice cube tray. As I mentioned above, it doesn't freeze completely, so it won't actually freeze into cubes.
Other Starbucks Copycat Lemonades
Are you looking for other lemonades inspired by the Starbucks menu you can make at home? Check out the four listed below! If you want to see all the latest ones along with various other drinks, head over to Starbucks Drinks.
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Print📖 Recipe
Blackberry Sage Lemonade
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Drink
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Starbucks-inspired Blackberry Sage Lemonade is made with homemade syrup, it's so easy to make, and it's the perfect refreshing drink for the summer!
Ingredients
Blackberry Sage Simple Syrup
- 1 cup blackberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 cup cane sugar
- 1 cup water
- ½ tsp fresh lemon zest (optional)
- 5-6 fresh sage leaves
Blackberry Sage Lemonade
- ⅓ cup blackberry sage syrup
- ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 6 cups water
- Ice
- Garnish: fresh blackberries and fresh sage
Instructions
Blackberry Sage Simple Syrup
- Add blackberries, cane sugar, water, and lemon zest (if using) to a medium saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves to prevent it from burning.
- Lower the heat and simmer the syrup for 10 minutes. As the blackberries soften, they should be easy to smush against the sides of the saucepan using a fork. This is optional, but I do this around minute 5-8 to release their juices and flavor.
- Add fresh sage and simmer for 5 more minutes.
- Take the mixture off the heat and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. The longer you let it sit, the stronger the sage flavor will be.
- Once you’re happy with the flavor, strain the syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl or a large measuring cup. Use the back of a spoon to press down on the blackberries to get as much juice out of them as possible.
- Pour the syrup into a glass jar and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Blackberry Sage Lemonade
- Add blackberry sage syrup and freshly squeezed lemon juice to a large pitcher.
- Top up with 6 cups of water and stir well to mix everything.
- Add a handful of ice cubes to cool it down or cool it in the refrigerator.
- Serve the lemonade over ice and garnish with fresh blackberries and fresh sage. Enjoy!
Notes
Leftover blackberry pulp: I usually keep any fruit pulp from syrups to put on bread as jam or add to oatmeal, pancakes, or anything sweet. While you can do the same with the blackberries, they have a ton of seeds that make the pulp quite unpleasant to eat, so I usually discard them.
Storing blackberry syrup: You can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 weeks or in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for 3-4 months. The syrup never freezes solid, so I don’t recommend an ice cube tray. You can use it straight from the freezer or allow it to defrost for 15-30 minutes first.
Lemonade storing: You can store the finished lemonade in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to a day or a few hours to cool it down.
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Veronika Sykorova says
Blackberries and sage are amazing together, you'll love this lemonade!