Jamun Basil Fizz Mocktail

5 from 1 vote

Oct 08, 2024

This refreshing drink combines the flavors of tangy jamun (black plum) with fragrant and earthy basil! Topped with sparkling water, this mocktail can be enjoyed by everyone at festive gatherings!

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For the festive season this year, try this Jamun Basil Fizz! This mocktail not only has a stunning color but is also so refreshing with the flavor combination of tangy jamun (black plum) and fragrant basil. Topped with sparkling water, this is a drink that everyone can enjoy at your festive gathering!

jamun drink topped with round ice cubes and garnished with mint

And I am back with yet another mocktail for the festive season! You guys have told me that the Imli Chutney Mocktail, Orange Rosemary Mocktail have been a hit at your Diwali parties and it makes me so happy! Continuing the tradition of sharing a festive mocktail every year, this year I have this Jamun Basil Fizz!

For those of you who don’t know what Jamun is, it is also known as black plum and is a fruit that I grew up eating in India during summers. In fact, there was a jamun tree in my grandparents backyard and I have very fond memories of picking up jamun from the tree during our summer vacations at our ancestral village. It has a tangy, kind of tart flavor and it works so well in this drink.

Here in the US, we don’t get fresh jamun but we do get frozen jamuns at Indian grocery stores. You can get frozen whole jamun or jamun pulp. Working with the pulp is much easier and for this recipe so that’s what I would recommend you get. The tangy jamun pairs beautifully with the earthy and fragrant basil is this delightful drink!

Manali’s Tip

For a stronger basil flavor in your drink, you can add a couple of basil leaves along with the lime wedge in your glass and muddle it using a muddler. Be careful of not crushing the basil leaves, just gently bruising them is enough for that lovely aroma and flavor!

How To Make Jamun Basil Mocktail

First, thaw the frozen jamun pulp according to instructions on the package. Here in the US, I got a 1 kg package of jamun pulp at my local Indian grocery store. I cut it into half and used only 1/2 of it which yielded around 2 cups of jamun pulp. Meanwhile while the jamun is being thawed, start making your simple syrup. To a pan on medium heat, add 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar.

thawed jamun pulp in a bowl — Thaw the jamun pulp according to instructions on the package

water and sugar in a steel pan — Mix water and sugar for simple syrup

To that add 1 cup packed of basil leaves. Let the sugar melt and then cook for 1 more minute and then remove the pan from heat. Cover the pan and let it sit for around 30 minutes for the basil flavor to steep in. After 30 minutes, strain the syrup using a strainer. The syrup will be infused with a lovely basil flavor by now.

basil leaves with sugar and water in a pan — Add basil leaves and let the flavors steep in

basil leaves being strained using a strainer — Strain the syrup to remove basil leaves

To a cocktail shaker, add 1 cup of the prepared basil simple syrup and 2 cups of the jamun pulp. You can also do this step in a big jar. If your cocktail shaker isn’t big enough, you might have to do this in 2 parts.

simple syrup being added to shaker with garland in the background — Add simple syrup to a cocktail shaker

jamun pulp being added to a cocktail shaker — Followed by jamun pulp

Shake well to mix the two. Now, to make your drink, take your serving glass. I have used an 8 oz glass here. Place a lime wedge at the bottom and then crush it using a muddler to release the juice. You can also use a fork here. If you prefer a stronger basil flavor, you can also add 1 to 2 basil leaves here and crush them a little to release the flavor.

hand holding a cocktail shaker — Shake to mix the two

muddler crushing a lime wedge in a glass — Add a lime wedge to serving glass and press it with a muddler

Add 2 oz of the prepared jamun-simple syrup mixture per glass. Then add a pinch of kala namak (black salt) followed by ice cubes and then top with around 1/2 cup (4 oz) of sparkling water. I have used plain sparkling water but you can also use lime/lemon sparkling water. Stir the drink with a spoon so that everything is mixed well. Garnish with mint leaves and serve!

purple color drink being added to a glass with lime wedge — Add the jamun-simple syrup mix to your glass

sparkling water being added to a glass filled with ice cubes and purple color drink — Top with ice cubes, sparkling water

Advance Prep

If you want to make this for your Diwali party, I would recommend making the simple syrup and jamun mixture in advance and keeping it chilled in the refrigerator. To make a big batch, add all the lime wedges in a big bowl and crush them using a muddler to release the juice. Then top the jamun-simple syrup mix, kala namak and stir. Pour into glasses and then fill each glass with ice cubes, and sparkling water.

Important Notes

If you can’t find jamun pulp, you can use frozen jamuns. You would need to boil them and then extract the pulp and then use that pulp in the recipe. It just adds an extra step but can still be done.

I would recommend adding the sparkling water just before serving the drink and don’t forget to stir the drink before serving.

To make your drink looks festive, you can also coat the rim of the glass with rock salt or any sea salt.

This recipe will serve 8-10 if you serve this in 8 oz glasses. Serving this mocktail in smaller glasses will yield more. You can easily double the recipe, just use the whole 1 kg packet of frozen jamun pulp in that case.

The recipe will not use all of the simple syrup and you will be left with some extra. You can add it to other drinks or use it as a topping to French toast, waffles etc.