Place the crushed, freeze-dried berries and VitaCherry powder on a medium, flat plate, if using (if not using, proceed to the next step). Prepare small cocktail glasses. Wet the rim of each glass with a wedge of lime, sliding the lime around the rim of the glasses. One at a time, place each glass, rim down, on the prepared plate with the crushed, freeze-dried berries. Twist the glasses in the berries to get them to stick to the rim.
Place about 2 tablespoons of the cooked and chopped cherries, reserved from the syrup, along with about a teaspoon of the chopped herbs in the bottom of each glass and muddle them with a muddler or a pestle. Fill each glass with ice, followed by the kombucha, then add about 2 tablespoons of the cherry syrup per glass. Squeeze some fresh lime juice into each glass and stir to mix. Garnish with more herbs and enjoy.
to make the cherry syrup
Combine all the syrup ingredients, except the cherry powder, in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, and cook, uncovered for 15 minutes. Stir periodically. Turn off the heat and whisk in the VitaCherry powder, if using, making sure to whisk well to avoid any clumping. Let cool for about 15 minutes.
Mash the cherries with a potato masher right in the saucepan, to get their juices out. Strain the syrup into a clean jar through a fine mesh strainer. Reserve the leftover cherries and chop them up finely to use in the mocktail. Keep the syrup refrigerated in an air-tight container.
Notes
If you use coconut sugar, the syrup will take on the deep, malty, almost burnt flavors of the sugar, which we personally enjoy. If you prefer a more classic syrup flavor, use raw or regular sugar.
Recipe by Golubka Kitchen at https://golubkakitchen.com/cherry-syrup-cherry-kombucha-mocktail/