Inspiration: Recently(ish), I travelled to Golden, Colorado — the home of Coors Beer. Though I’m not the biggest ale aficionado, I did see the potential fun in touring this giant brewery and sipping the (undoubtedly) freshest batch of beer brewed by them I’d ever encountered.

Then my body met the mile-high altitude of Golden. 

Anyone who watches sports like soccer, American football, cycling, baseball, and many others often listens to commentators expound upon how the thinner air affects the distance a ball travels, an athlete’s endurance, and the risk of altitude sickness. So it came as no surprise when I started huffing and puffing whilst walking around town wearing fifteen pounds of camera gear on my back for the first day or two.

What I was unprepared for was how the thinner atmosphere affected my ability to eat and drink.

If the meal was much larger than a sandwich, my tummy had a hard time and alcohol was utterly off the table. Happily, according to a server I spoke to about this odd phenomenon, I wasn’t the lone ranger in this digestive experience. Thus, explaining why nearly every menu I read offered a pretty good selection of mocktails to sample.  

Inspired by these tasty drinks, I started experimenting with flavors in hopes of creating my own mocktail! (Once I made it back home, of course.)

My Recipe: Blackberry Simple Syrup

• 4 heaping cups of black berries (fresh or frozen, doesn’t matter)
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 limes zested & juiced
• 2-3 one inch knuckles of fresh ginger (peeled)
• 1 cup unsweetened blueberry juice
• 1/2 cup water
• Equipment: Saucepan, potato masher, trivet, wire fine mesh strainer, ladle, canning funnel, and large mason jar*

1. Chuck everything into a pot & stir until the sugar is dissolved. If using frozen berries: place on low heat until they thaw out and soft.

2. Using a potato masher, mash the berries until they are all broken apart

3. Bring everything to a boil, whilst stirring frequently (it can boil over at this point and make a mess, so keep an eye on it)

4. Let it boil for a minute or two, then reduce heat until it’s barely simmering

5. Continue to simmer until it reaches the desired thickness. I usually let it go for about 20, maybe 30, minutes 

6. Whilst simmering, grab your ladle, strainer, canning funnel, and mason jar*, stacking the last three items together in that order

7. Pulling the pot off the stove and making sure it sits on a trivet, taking care because the stuff is hot, start ladling the syrup through the strainer. Whilst carefully and gently swirling/pressing the mixture through the sieve until only the solids remain, then discard. (Picking out the ginger and cinnamon right away & discarding.)

8. Repeat this last step until you’ve emptied the pot. However, when you finish, do not scrape the bottom of the sieve into the syrup. All those little bits will make the final product less than smooth.

What the pot looks like at step one.

Add a couple of tablespoons of the chilled syrup (depending on your preference) to sparkling water & maybe some ice, and voila, a mocktail is born. (Or add a couple of tablespoons to a tart lemonade and a shot of peach vodka and you’ve a nice alcoholic drink — when you are back at sea level.) Keep it in the refrigerator and it should last for about two weeks.

*You don’t have to use a ladle, canning funnel, or large mason jar. You could just as easily place the sieve over a bowl and use a measuring cup to strain the bits from the syrup and then pour it into whatever container you’ve on hand.

PPS: Wear an apron and/or avoid wearing white when making the syrup, as it can and will stain if it gets on your clothes. Ask me how I know.

Christie’s Canon of Characters: Honestly, I can easily see Miss Marple making this! The non-alcoholic version for a fete of some sort (as I think it could make an excellent punch, though I’ve not tried turning it into such), or making a glass full at a time on a hot summer’s afternoon! It might even be sophisticated enough for Poirot to try, if elegantly garnished and presented in a posh enough glass. Or, frankly, any of Christie’s detectives I think would order this — if they wanted to look off their game or blend into a party without impairing their deductive skills!

My 52 Weeks With Christie: A.Miner©2025