Blackberry Old Fashioned Cocktail

This blackberry old fashioned cocktail combines fresh summer berries with a classic cocktail recipe for a twist on one of your favorite drinks.

Why you’ll love this recipe

In short: it’s easy and it’s different without being weird. You don’t need to make a simple syrup, you don’t need to use any type of blending contraption, and you can make them one at a time.

If you don’t like bourbon, you probably won’t love this recipe. It’s still a strong cocktail. But if you do, give it a try. Let’s get started.

What you’ll Need

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 blackberries (big ones!)
• 2 ounces bourbon (check out this guide if you need help choosing the right bourbon)
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1 teaspoon water

Garnish

• orange peel
• one whole blackberry

Everything Else

• Did you know there’s a glass called the old fashioned glass? You might also find it called the rocks glass. (Here is the set I used.). You can use whatever you want, of course.
• You’ll want a small mesh strainer so you can strain the blackberries right in.

Let’s make some drinks

Tips for making the syrup

To get a nice blackberry syrup, the easiest way is to mix blackberries and sugar and just give them a little time to sit. After a few minutes of sitting at room temperature, the berries will become juicy and you won’t have to work so hard to get a delicious syrup. And the easy way is the best, isn’t it?

Once the berries are juicy, just place your little mesh strainer over the rocks glass, pour everything in, and press gently until the syrup is in the cup. Don’t press too hard or you’ll get fruit bits in your drink.

The final steps

There’s not much left to do at this point. Just add the remaining ingredients and stir. Garnish however you’d like. A nice orange peel and a whole blackberry is a nice touch. Make sure everything is thoroughly mixed and and cold before you drink.

Looking for more fruit infused cocktail recipes?

• Strawberry Old Fashioned Recipe uses the same technique and is a touch sweeter.
• If you like actual fruit pieces in your drink, you’ll love strawberry mojitos.
• And you can find a list of my favorite country-inspired summer cocktails here.

the recipe

Enjoy your drink!