MSG Free Turmeric-Cinnamon Berry Basil Spritzer
This vibrant, jewel-toned spritzer is the kind of drink that makes people stop mid-sip and ask what's in it. A homemade berry syrup — built from fresh or frozen fruit, honey, turmeric, cinnamon, and a pinch of black pepper — gets strained until silky smooth, then poured over muddled basil and sparkling water for something that feels genuinely special. The whole thing comes together with real, whole ingredients you can see and smell at every step, which means zero mystery additives or flavor enhancers hiding in the mix. That matters more than it sounds, because so many store-bought flavored drinks and syrups rely on processed flavor compounds that can be hard to track down on a label. Here, you control every single ingredient from the saucepan to the glass. The turmeric and cinnamon add warmth and depth without overpowering the bright berry-citrus base, and the muddled basil brings a fresh herbal note that ties it all together beautifully. It's refreshing enough for a summer afternoon and interesting enough to serve at a dinner party.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the berry syrup
- 1 cup mixed berries (fresh or frozen — blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries)
- ½ cup water
- 3 tbsp honey
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
For assembling
- 12 fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
- 2 cups ice
- 3 cups sparkling water, chilled
For serving
- lemon slices, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the berries, water, honey, turmeric, cinnamon, and black pepper in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir to dissolve the honey, then cook, stirring occasionally and lightly pressing the berries against the pan, until the berries have broken down and the syrup is deep red-purple and slightly thickened, about 8–10 minutes.
- 2
Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Pour the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer into a heatproof pitcher or measuring cup, pressing the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids. Let the syrup cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes, or speed it up by setting the pitcher in a bowl of ice water.
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