Some serious witchcraft in this pitcher.
Happy Friday, ya’ll! Next weekend is Halloween, which is exciting but also utter bullshit, and we’re tying up all our culinary loose ends with this wonderfully spooky and exceptionally delightful Black Magic Lemonade.
Not to worry, there be no evil curses in this batch. Merely, a bewitching blend of cinnamon blackberry syrup, tons of fresh lemon juice, pomegranate juice, and plenty of edible garnishes that’ll put a spell on your tastebuds. Serious bonus points if you have fun themed glasses in which to serve your brew!
This recipe is meant to serve a party-sized crowd, so we up the ante on the lemon juice and adornments and ensure that the pitcher is loaded up so all your guests can enjoy a decent helping or two. Super quick to make and even quicker to disappear from your spreads, so let’s get on with it, damn it!
I Put a Spell On You…
…Because I’m mAAAAaaAAAd.
Ahem.
First, we’re gonna simmer a quick cinnamon blackberry syrup to sweeten our tart little concoction. To make, combine fresh blackberries with sugar, water, and a cinnamon stick. Bring to a gentle bubbly wubbly and heat, stirring and mashing the berries on occasion, for about 10 minutes. Strain the final syrup through a fine mesh sieve and discard the solids. Stir in some vanilla extract to finish.
Snag your favorite large serving pitcher and combine all of that syrup with fresh lemon juice, pomegranate juice, and cold filtered water. For garnishes, toss in lots of blackberries, raspberries, a couple cinnamon sticks, and a few extra lemon slices.
Tip #1: I used two full 2 pound bags of lemons to achieve the required 2 cups. I highly recommend allotting the time to squeeze fresh lemons. The taste difference is enormous.
Tip #2: If you are prepping the lemonade 1-3 days ahead of time (which you can definitely do, by the way) or storing leftovers, omit the lemon slices until just before serving. The rind will render your drink quite bitter the longer the slices float around.
Pop your pitcher in the fridge for at least an hour to let the flavors mellow and chill. If you absolutely have to serve straightaway, be sure you have lots of ice at the ready. Whichever method you choose, be sure to give the lemonade a good stir to combine all the components before pouring.
Frighteningly easy, right?
Final tip: If you’d like to ignite the rosemary sprig as in The Wicked Pumpkin cocktail, you will need to buy some overproof rum as the ignition source. Dip your sprig into the rum, then touch with a flame, and POOF! A little fire in your kitchen! But please, don’t make it a big fire by slapping the sprig against your clothes or body hair.
Stay spooky, my friends!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Punchy fall drinks to enjoy:
black magic lemonade
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice
- 1 cup cinnamon blackberry syrup (recipe below)
- 8-10 cups cold filtered water
- 1 cup fresh blackberries, plus more for garnish
- 1 cup fresh raspberries, plus more for garnish
- 2-3 cinnamon sticks
- 1 can blackberry sparkling water
- rosemary sprigs and lemon slices, for garnish
cinnamon blackberry syrup
- 1 cup fresh blackberries
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Blackberry syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the blackberries, sugar, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water. Bring to a simmer and heat for 10-12 minutes, mushing the berries with a spoon as they cook down. Strain the syrup through a fine mesh sieve and discard the solids. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- In a large festive as fuck pitcher, combine the syrup with the lemon juice, pomegranate juice, cold water, fresh blackberries and raspberries, and the cinnamon sticks. Cover and chill at least an hour.
- Divide lemonade into glasses. Top each with a splash of the sparkling water, then garnish with fresh berries, a rosemary sprig, and lemon slices, as desired.
