Blueberry Martini or Italian Soda with Homemade Drink Syrups

Blueberry drink syrups (shrub syrups or simple syrups) offer an awesome way to turn a simple cocktail into a blueberry martini or other craft cocktail. Don’t drink alcohol? Blueberry drink syrups added to a little sparkling water makes an incredible Italian soda. Add a bit of cream and you have a French soda!

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RECIPE
Homemade Drink Syrups vs Commercial Mixers
Best Infusions for Blueberry Drink Syrups
Non-Alcoholic Drinks with Blueberry Syrup

Fruit-based Homemade Drink Syrups in Cocktails

In an effort to put my decade of  bartending experience  together with my decade(s) of farming experience,  I developed a wide range of drink syrups which I sold online up until 2022. 

The syrups included a range of fruity-acid shrub syrups, as well as the sweeter fruit and herbal simple syrups.

There is no easier way to turn a standard cocktail (or mocktail) into something special than by using fruit drink syrups made with real, whole fruit.

The difference using a homemade drink syrup with real fruit in a cocktail or Italian soda rather than the commercial flavored syrups is something to behold.

The “shrub” type of syrups are fruit based syrups that have vinegar added, giving them a refreshing acidity balanced out by the sugar and fruit.  

The simple syrups do not have added vinegar and therefore tend to be sweeter. Both types of drink syrups are often infused with herbs or spices.

Best Infusions for Blueberry Drink Syrups

There are all kinds of different infusions that could go with blueberry syrups. My favorite blueberry drink syrups have included the following flavor infusions:

• Pomegranate and pink peppercorns
• Fresh Tarragon
• Culinary lavender

If you want to experiment with homemade blueberry drink syrups, this post on DIY blueberry shrub syrups will help. The recipe below is made with an infusion of fresh tarragon, as that is probably the easiest herb for the home cook to find in the grocery store.

Cocktails and Mocktails are very forgiving, so feel free to experiment with proportions.

Non-Alcoholic Drinks with Blueberry Syrup

Italian Sodas:

For the easiest mocktail or Italian soda ever, just fill a glass with club, sparkling water, or tonic water and stir in 2-3 Tablespoons of blueberry simple syrup.

Blueberry Lemonade

In the Summer try stirring the syrup into a tall glass of lemonade. The ratios for drinks made with simple syrups or shrub syrups are 4:1 (4 parts liquid to 1 part simple syrup).