Blackberry Mint Vodka Sparkler
Fresh tasting, and perfectly sweet, this Blackberry Mint Vodka Sparkler is sure to brighten your day! A homemade easy fresh blackberry syrup is cooked up and is large enough to serve a crowd, and can also be frozen if there are leftovers. Add this syrup to some vodka and lemon juice over ice, top with some bubbly club soda, then garnish with some aromatic mint!
Here’s to wishing it was summer already! Currently it is -30°C in Edmonton, so naturally, I am wishing I was on a beach somewhere, sipping a delicious vodka cocktail! Well I suppose I can get half my wish – I present to you this Blackberry Mint Vodka Sparkler! This blackberry vodka cocktail is just the right amount of sweet without being too overwhelming – which says a lot from someone who doesn’t like sweet cocktails!
Homemade Blackberry Syrup
The homemade blackberry syrup comes together in about 20 minutes (most being completely hands-off), and requires absolutely no prep work! The greatest thing about this syrup is that it tastes fresh. Instead of using a store bought blackberry syrup, which I find can taste artificial at the best of times, this homemade syrup tastes like fresh blackberries that were picked off the bush in your backyard!
Mint: The Perfect Vodka Cocktail Accompaniment
I absolutely love mint in my vodka cocktails. Seriously, any drink that says “mint” in the description will definitely be ordered by the end of dinner! Mint provides an absolutely lovely background flavor, that really helps balance out the sweetness of the blackberries. Furthermore, mint in cocktails provides for an aromatic experience. They say the 80% of tasting comes from what we smell, so adding something as beautifully aromatic as mint to a cocktail, really elevates the whole sensory experience. That is why I find it necessary to garnish this blackberry vodka cocktail with extra mint. That fresh mint will envelop your senses with each swig of the drink, therefore, you will get the full experience of the drink with each sip.
As with the leaves that are added to the blackberry vodka cocktail, it is important to slap the garnish leaves as well. The majority of the mints scent is kept in it’s aromatic oils. Therefore, it is crucial to release the oils to allow the mint to live up to its full potential. Simply just place the mint leave in your one hand, and slap it with your other. You will instantly smell the mint wake up!
Get the Recipe: Blackberry Mint Vodka Sparkler
Ingredients
Blackberry Mint Syrup
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 cup Water
- 1 cup Blackberries
- 5-6 Mint Sprigs
Blackberry Mint Vodka Sparkler
- 1-2 Mint Leaves
- 1 1/2 oz (45mL) Vodka
- 1 – 1 1/2 oz (30-45mL) Blackberry Mint Syrup,, depending on how sweet you like it
- 1 tbsp Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
- Club Soda
- 1 Mint Sprig,, to garnish
Instructions
Blackberry Mint Syrup
- Add sugar, water, and blackberries to a small sauce pan over medium-high heat. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Mash the blackberries with a potato masher. Bring the pot down to medium heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove pot from heat and allow the syrup to steep for 5 minutes. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain the seeds/chunks out of the syrup into a 2-cup measuring cup.
- Using your hands, rip apart the mint sprigs, and slap the ripped leaves between your hands to release the fragrant oil in the mint. Add entire sprigs – leaves and stems, to the syrup. Cover and place in the fridge to cool. If freezing for future use, place into an airtight container and store up to 3 months.
Blackberry Mint Vodka Sparkler
- 1) Using your hands, slap a mint leaf or 2 between your hands, and add to a highball glass, . Then, fill the glass with ice, then add vodka, syrup, and lemon juice. Stir to mix. Top with club soda, then garnish with more slapped mint
