Plum-Blueberry Spritzers

NcMysteryShopper's Note:

Bay leaves lend this spritzer a spicy fragrance that offsets the sweetness of the blueberries and plums. MAKE AHEAD: The syrup can be refrigerated for 1 week. NOTES Variation: Pour 2 tablespoons of the berry syrup into a Champagne flute and top with Champagne.

• Total Time: 38 mins
• Prep Time: 8 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 5 cups water
• 1 cup fresh blueberries, ripe
• 3 black plums, ripe (pitted and cut into eighths)
• 8 fresh bay leaves or 8 dried bay leaves, plus extra for garnish
• 1/4 cup sugar, plus
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 8 cups club soda, cold (for serving)

Directions:

1. Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the blueberries, plums, 8 bay leaves and sugar, cover and boil over high heat, stirring, until the juice is reduced to about 3 cups and the plums are tender, about 20 minutes. Strain the mixture though a fine sieve, pressing lightly with a spatula to extract the juice; reserve the bay leaves. Return the juice to the pan, add the reserved bay leaves and simmer over moderate heat until reduced to 2 cups, about 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaves; let the syrup cool.
2. For each drink, gently whisk 1/4 cup of the plum-blueberry syrup into 1 cup of cold club soda, pour into a glass, garnish with a bay leaf and serve.

Reviews

[Julie B's Hive]

An excellent cooling beverage. Mine didn't reduce by time stated but I stuck around until it did. ZWT3

[~Leslie~]

Wow! This is delicious! I used berries that I had frozen in the summer time to make this delicious drink. My 6 year old could not get enough of it! The combination of blueberries, plums and the bay leaves is surprisingly delicous! Next time I will make more and try adding some rum.....or vodka....yummo! Thanks Cheryl!

[Elmotoo]

Yeah, what Thorsten said! I made this fro ZWTII & it is awesome! Antioxidant heaven. It did take longer to reduce thank stated. Maybe I should have cranked the heat. No big. Great recipe, Cheryl!