Zholos Limonati

Ingredients

• 7 ozraspberriesfresh or frozen (thawed)
• 1Lemonunwaxed, juiced; lime as an alternative
• 1⅓ ozsugaror as sugar syrup; adjust to taste
• 2⅛ cupssparkling waterwell chilled, for topping up
• 7 ozice cubesfor serving
• 2⅔ tbspnarsharabpomegranate sauce, for the bar version (optional)
• ¾ cupcream sodareplaces part of the mineral water (optional)
• mintfor garnish or flavouring (optional)
• basilfor flavouring (optional)

Method

1. Prep the raspberriesIf you're using frozen raspberries, let them thaw completely first. Pick over fresh raspberries, give them a quick rinse in cold water and let them drain well.
2. Juice the lemonJuice the lemon. If you like it a touch sharper, use a lime instead.
3. Blend the fruit puréePut the raspberries, lemon juice and sugar into a blender or tall jug and blend until you have a really smooth purée. Taste and add a little more sugar if you like.
4. Sieve out the seedsPush the purée through a fine sieve in batches, pressing firmly with a spoon so as much of the fruit as possible goes through. Throw away the seeds left in the sieve.
5. Top up with sparkling waterPour the strained purée into a jug and top up with the well-chilled sparkling mineral water. Stir gently so you don't knock out the fizz. If you like, swap some of the sparkling mineral water for cream soda, or drop in a few sprigs of mint or basil for extra flavour.
6. Chill it thoroughlyPut the lemonade in the fridge for at least 1 hour so it gets properly cold and the flavours come together.
7. Serve over iceFill glasses with ice cubes, pour in the lemonade and garnish with lemon slices, mint or basil. Serve straight away while it's still sparkling.

Tips and variations

For a bar version, shake raspberry purée, lemon, sugar syrup, a splash of narsharab (pomegranate sauce), cream soda and sparkling mineral water together; the narsharab adds a lovely tart, deep note. As a cocktail, blend raspberries, lime, basil, sugar and ice, then top up with the finished lemonade. If you want to make a batch ahead, simmer the raspberries with lime juice for 30 minutes, strain through a cloth, sweeten with stevia and dilute the syrup 1:5 with sparkling mineral water. Blended unstrained with still water and sweetened with honey, it turns thicker – garnish that one with raspberries and thyme (though with honey it's no longer vegan). Vanilla sugar and grated orange zest, or a pinch of salt blended in with a little still water, give you more ways to play. Serving tip: leave the jug on the table and only fill the glasses with ice right before drinking, so everything stays nice and fizzy.