Blackberry Witches Brew: The Kid-Friendly Halloween Drink

This blackberry witches brew is a non-alcoholic Halloween mocktail made with fresh blackberries, grape juice, lemon juice, honey, and sparkling water. It serves 6 and takes 10 minutes in a blender, with no cooking.

Fall is officially here, and the grocery stores know it. My favorite local stores have filled their shelves with limited-edition apple, pumpkin, cranberry, and caramel everything. Every year I walk the aisles with a basket that gets heavier by the minute. There are so many seasonal products that it's easy to grab something random and regret it by the time you get home.

One store goes all in on the Halloween silliness. Its Witches Brew punch comes in a big bowl with candy eyes and wiggly worms floating on top, and I love that. Around the same time, a purple Witches Brew canned drink turned up in the cooler, and I couldn't walk past it. Between the punch bowl and that can, I had a Halloween drink on my mind for the rest of the shopping trip.

I wanted my own version, one that was intensely burgundy and fizzy. The flavor I had in mind was a blackberry bramble, the gin cocktail with lemon and muddled berries, just without the gin. I also wanted the kids at the table, and anyone not drinking, to be able to enjoy it.

Why I Love This Blackberry Witches Brew

The blackberries and lemon taste like a blackberry bramble without the gin, and the grape juice turns it burgundy without any dye. A little honey sweetens it, and the sparkling water goes in at the very last second so it stays fizzy.

I serve it in round pumpkin-style glasses with a few blackberries and a sprig of mint on top.

The ingredients, and why they're in there

Fresh blackberries. These give the drink its flavor and most of the color. Blackberries are on the tart side, so they need help from the other ingredients. Frozen berries work fine too. They're often cheaper in October, and you can use them straight from the freezer.

Purple grape juice. Use 100% juice. It sweetens the drink without a syrup and makes the color darker. White grape juice will work, but the drink comes out paler, so I'd stick with purple.

Lemon juice. Squeeze it fresh. The lemon keeps the drink from tasting like fruit punch. You can use lime instead, and the flavor is a little sharper.

Honey. This rounds out the blackberries. Taste the base before you add the fizz, since that's the last point where you can adjust.

Sparkling water. It goes in last. Club soda, plain seltzer, or lemon-lime sparkling water all work.

Ice, or frozen blackberries. Frozen berries chill the drink without watering it down.

Grape juice versus blackberries for color

I made this with and without the grape juice to see what it did. I love grape juice here because it is not too acidic but acidic enough that it's enjoyable. Lemon pushes the color toward red, so if you want it darker, add a splash more of purple grape juice. A splash of cranberry juice also works in my experience.

Honey swaps

• Maple syrup works 1:1. It adds a slightly deeper flavor.
• Agave works 1:1 and dissolves easily.
• Sugar works too. Blend it with the berries so it dissolves.
• No sweetener is also an option. The grape juice may be enough for you, and for kids. Taste before deciding.

Honey isn't safe for babies under 1 year old, so use maple syrup or agave if a baby will be drinking it.

How to Make Witches Brew

1. Blend and strain

Put the blackberries, grape juice, lemon juice, and honey in a blender and blend until completely smooth. It should look like a thick, dark berry juice.

Set a fine-mesh strainer over a pitcher and pour it through. Press gently with the back of a spoon. This takes a minute or two and removes the seeds, which would otherwise end up stuck in your teeth.

2. Add the fizz and sprinkles

Pour in the sparkling water just before serving, and stir gently once. Pour over ice in tall glasses. Watch the top of the glass: that's where the pink foam forms.

Finish with a blackberry on a pick, a lemon slice, or a mint leaf.

Tips

• Chill all the ingredients before mixing so your drink stays extra cold
• Freeze a few blackberries to use instead of ice cubes so the drink doesn't get watered down
• Blend the blackberry mixture really well before straining to get the most juice possible
• Add the sparkling water right before serving to keep it bubbly

Make Ahead, Storage and Freezing

I make the blackberry base ahead of time, because I don't want to be at the blender when guests show up. Blend and strain it, then pour it into a jar or pitcher, cover it, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Keep the sparkling water in the fridge, unopened, until you're ready to serve.

Once the sparkling water goes in, the fizz starts fading, so I never mix the whole batch ahead. If you do have leftovers, they're still drinkable, just flat after about 5 hours. I'd drink them the same day.

To freeze the base, pour it into ice cube trays and freeze until solid. Move the cubes to a freezer bag and keep them up to 2 months. That's a conservative window, since sources I found put frozen juice cubes at roughly 4 to 6 months for best flavor. To serve, blend the cubes with cold sparkling water and a little lemon.

Halloween Party Serving Ideas

This drink works anywhere you'd put a punch bowl: Halloween parties, trunk or treat, a costume night, or a quiet October weekend with a movie. It pairs with Halloween cookies, caramel apple cheesecake dip, snack boards, and cupcakes. The tart blackberries cut through anything sweet or salty.

Garnishes and glasses

For the photo, I used a pumpkin-shaped glass with a gold rim, and a blackberry on a cocktail pick. Any clear glass shows off the color and the pink foam on top. A fresh blackberry, a lemon slice, or a mint leaf is enough. Gummy worms over the rim and plastic spiders are great for kids. Rock candy sticks work as stirrers.

FAQs

More Mocktails to Enjoy

• Raspberry Sangria Mocktail
• Peach Ginger Mocktail with Fresh Peach Purée