The Flushing Meadows Sunset
Blackberry Sweet Tea gone the color of a sunset, cracked ice, and ginger beer fizzing right up over the top the second you pour it. Tart cherry and orange keep it from turning into anything close to syrupy, and that ginger snap at the finish is the reason people go back for a second glass before they've said anything about the first.
Stir it together, top it with ginger beer, done. No juicer, no bar tools, nothing that isn't already sitting in your kitchen.
Prep Time
5 minutes
Total Time
10 minutes
Serves
1
What You Need
- 3 oz Southern Breeze Blackberry Sweet Tea
- 1.5 oz unsweetened tart cherry juice or pomegranate juice
- 1/2 oz fresh orange juice
- 1 oz ginger beer or spicy ginger ale
- Fresh blackberries, for garnish
- A few fresh mint leaves, for garnish
How To Make It
- Fill your glass. Pack a tall glass with ice.
- Stir it together. Add the Blackberry Sweet Tea, tart cherry juice, and orange juice, and stir.
- Top it off. Pour in the ginger beer for the spicy kick that cuts through the berry.
- Garnish. Add a few fresh blackberries and mint leaves, then serve.
Good For
- A tennis tournament watch party, it pours like something you'd find at the stadium concession stand, minus the line
- Fall porch sipping, once the light starts turning the same color as the drink
- A tailgate table that needs something besides beer and soda in the cooler
- Anyone who wants their berry drink to have a little spice fighting back against the sweetness
A Few Tips
- A spicier ginger beer makes a real difference here. The mild ones barely register once they hit the berry and cherry.
- Tart cherry juice and pomegranate juice both work, but they land differently. Tart cherry is sharper, pomegranate is a little rounder and sweeter.
- Freeze a few blackberries ahead of time and use them as ice. They hold the color and flavor instead of watering the drink down as they melt.
- Making a pitcher? Mix everything except the ginger beer ahead of time, then top each glass individually right before serving so it stays fizzy.
Want Less Caffeine?
Blackberry Sweet Tea is the build this one's made for. Try it with the Decaf if you want most of the caffeine gone for a later-in-the-day glass.
Questions About This Recipe
Is this drink sugar free?
Blackberry Sweet Tea itself has no sugar, but the other ingredients aren't sugar free. Tart cherry, pomegranate, and orange juice all carry natural sugar, and most ginger beers have real sugar in them too unless you choose a diet or sugar-free version.
Tart cherry juice or pomegranate juice, which is better?
Tart cherry gives a sharper, more tart result. Pomegranate is a little rounder and sweeter. Both work well, it mostly comes down to which one you prefer or already have on hand.
Can I use ginger ale instead of ginger beer?
Yes, though ginger beer usually has a stronger, spicier bite. If you use ginger ale, a spicier brand will hold up better against the berry and cherry than a milder one.
Can I make this ahead for a group?
Yes, mix the tea, juice, and orange juice in a pitcher ahead of time, then top each glass individually with ginger beer right before serving so it stays fizzy.
Deep berry, a spicy ginger finish, and gone before the ice melts. Grab the tea and build your own.
GET THE BLACKBERRY SWEET TEA