15 Ultimate Flavor Pairings To Try With Blackberry Cocktails
Can't get enough of the sharp, alluring flavor of blackberries? Delicious by themselves or included in baked goods, desserts, drinks, and smoothies, blackberries also make a remarkably sweet statement when mixed in a cocktail. Technically a bramble weed, blackberries are easily accessible and can be found in many regions of the world, including Asia, Europe, and North and South America. With their dark, blackish-purple skin and soft, bubbly texture, blackberries' sweet yet tart flavor becomes enhanced when paired with the right elements.
From sweet and refreshing to tangy and spicy, there are many flavor pairings that might add an extra-tasty twist to a blackberry cocktail. According to Ask The Food Geek, incorporating sugar or cream (milk fat) within a blackberry mixture helps lessen the subtle and sometimes bitter flavor of the fruit. Cocktails like mojitos, margaritas, smashes, and brambles offer a variety of favorable matches with many common liquors like bourbon, gin, tequila, and vodka. With the combination of herbs, heavy cream, spices, seasonings, citrus, and other fruits, there's a significant number of flavors to explore in finding the most delightful blackberry cocktails.
1. Almond (Amaretto)
A mild flavored nut, almonds are often used in baking and cooking, including in salads, flour, extract, and various spirits. Whether it's an amaretto liqueur or almond extract, the smooth flavor of almonds is heightened when mixed with sugar and other cocktail ingredients. While not a typical essence in most cocktails, the amaretto sour is a classic concoction that involves a medley of lemon citrus and sweetener. With this, you might add fresh, blended blackberries or a blackberry brandy to the sour drink for an added piquant flavor.
Another drink to explore is a blackberry almond tipple, which is a slight spin on the whiskey-focused Manhattan cocktail. To make this elegant drink, try mixing a ½-ounce each of Disaronno Amaretto and China China liqueur along with two ounces of rye whiskey. From there, you can add five or six muddled blackberries (or a flavoring of choice), a dash of bitters, and a twist of lemon for garnish. After pouring this pretty drink into an appropriately sophisticated glass, you'll savor the mix of amaretto and blackberry flavors in this compelling concoction.
2. Apple
Desserts like apple and blackberry cobbler or crumble are sweet delights for any casual get-together. Apple, a pome fruit, and blackberry (a drupelet) are a diverse yet agreeable pair on many levels, per Shari's Berries. For a sweet mélange, you might concoct an apple bourbon and blackberry sour. Simple enough: Place all ingredients in a blender, including the blackberries, lemon juice, apple juice, and simple syrup, then strain. Add your bourbon of choice along with ice and a lemon twist.
For a luxurious treat, create an apple and blackberry crumble bramble. While a traditional bramble may consist of gin, lemon juice, sugar (syrup), and a crème liqueur, this dessert cocktail may have the addition of vanilla syrup and crème de cassis. Muddle the blackberries in a jug or shaker, then add all the liquid ingredients, including apple juice. Filter the mixture, then shake again with ice. Complete the process with an enticing cinnamon sugar-coated glass rim and sliced apple in the drink for an added essence and/or snack.
3. Black pepper
Mix up the flavor profile of your next drink with the sweet and spicy blend of blackberry and black pepper. This ancient seasoning, now the most "widely consumed spice in the world," offers up an earthy punch of flavor with a little heat to complement most dishes, including cocktails (via McCormick Science Institute). With so many health benefits from peppercorns, including antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties (per Healthline), you might consider a blackberry black pepper cocktail recipe.
Combine your ingredients of whole blackberries (four to five), some lemon juice, sugar, ¼ teaspoon of black pepper (depending on your taste), and a couple of ounces of vodka or gin in a highball glass. Muddle the elements with a wooden spoon or another favorite utensil, then pour it all into a tumbler. For some extra pizzazz, fill to the top with club soda and add a sprig of mint and extra blackberries. For a more refreshing elixir, turn the cocktail into a frozen slush by adding ice and mixing it up in a blender.
4. Cinnamon
A heart-warming and charismatic spice, cinnamon is one of the oldest known spices and has been commonly used in numerous cuisines around the world for centuries (via McCormick Science Institute). Known for its endless medicinal properties, including digestion support and conquering coughs and other ailments, there's not much you can't add cinnamon powder or bark sticks to (via MySpicer). When combined with a little bit of fruit and sugar (like apple pie), the flavor is truly magnificent. For a drink that includes the smoky spice of a charred cinnamon stick, try this bourbon-blackberry cocktail, a new version of the old-fashioned cocktail recipe of whiskey, sugar, and bitters.
A magical combo in the fall or for a holiday party, the striking essence of cinnamon enhances the depth of blackberry preserves while immersed in a mixture of bourbon, fresh lemon juice, and bitters like Bruto Americano or Campari. Continue with a dash of Angostura (bitters), crushed ice, and stir. Once all is transported to a glass, place one or two charred cinnamon sticks inside for added appeal. You might also experiment with cinnamon and blackberry as a bramble cocktail made with gin and crème de mûre. Whether a dessert drink or aperitif, this rich, spiced drink is made to heal.
5. Ginger
For a sultry mix with a lingering bite, a ginger blackberry cocktail is the way to go. The root of a flowering plant, ginger provides a plethora of health benefits, including preventing stress and reducing nausea, among others (via WebMD). You can apply this vigorous spice to drinks via ginger ale (or beer), ginger liqueur, or freshly grated ginger root. If adding raw ginger is too potent or strenuous, you might also make a ginger-infused simple syrup to have on hand.
For a delicious smash cocktail, muddle a large handful of blackberries and combine it with ginger beer, lemon, sugar, club soda, fresh herbs, and your alcohol of choice. For a variation of the Moscow mule, a classic combination to try is lime, ginger, and vodka, or for a margarita style, tequila. A rambler cocktail may consist of muddled blackberries, ginger, and mint, including lemon, orange bitters (or juice), honey, and a light beer all mixed up. A sip of any of these cocktails will start sweet and juicy and finish with a lingering kick. For a pretty presentation and extra zest, coat the rim of the glass with crystallized ginger.
6. Hazelnut
Hazelnuts, the fruit of the hazel shrub plant, are mainly produced in Mediterranean countries like Turkey and Italy, (per research compiled by the Food and Agriculture Organization), and contain the perfect robust, nutty flavor to add to your next cocktail. Hazelnut flavoring shows up in various baked goods and confections, including cocoa spreads, coffee, extracts, and liqueurs. With its sweet, buttery essence, you might create various dessert cocktails like a hazelnut blackberry rum smash. Mix hazelnut (or Mark & Digger's Hazelnut Rum) and blackberry liqueurs together in a shaker along with fresh, muddled blackberries, brown sugar, and lemon juice. Pour over ice and top with ginger ale or tonic.
For something simpler, add a blackberry twist to a nuts and berries cocktail. This luxurious drink may typically consist of raspberry liqueur (Chambord, for example), but the taste of blackberry would take it to another level. Combine hazelnut liqueur, like Frangelico, blackberry liqueur or syrup, and your dairy of choice (cream, half-and-half, or milk). This fragrant blend is the perfect after-dinner drink or nightcap.
7. Lemon
Always be on the lookout for ways to incorporate lemon into your next drink, as the juice, pulp, and/or skin zest of this citrus fruit can all be used to elevate the flavor profile of the cocktail. When lemon and blackberry intermingle, they can create various tart yet alluring refreshments. With blackberry season falling between the end of June to August, blackberry lemon drinks are perfect for summer. You might like a cool blackberry lemonade, which includes freshly squeezed lemon juice (six-eight lemons), sweeteners like agave, maple, or simple syrup, and mashed blackberries. Vodka is a smooth choice to blend with this tincture, but you could also try bourbon. If you prefer a sweeter hit, mix it up mojito-style with rum and mint.
For a fancier rendition, shake up a blackberry lemon drop martini with blackberry syrup or sieved fruit, lemon juice, and vodka. For an extra boost of lemon, include limoncello in the mixture, while decorating the rim with sugar and zest. Other alternative blends include a smash, which you can create by adding mint or other herbs to your drink, or a bramble, which consists of blackberry flavoring, lemon juice, and gin. Make the final product sparkling by adding club soda, sparkling wine, or ginger ale to your invention.
8. Lime
Bright and fresh, lime fruit offers cocktails a flavor that's all its own. From margaritas to mojitos, lime brings a tangy, tropical energy to the more muted essence of blackberries. Likely originating from the pirate age of Havana, Cuba, mojitos are a mixture of white rum, lime juice, fresh mint leaves, sugar, seltzer water, and ice (per Culture Trip). Whether shaken or stirred, incorporate these ingredients with a bunch of smashed or puréed blackberries and serve over ice for a delectable blackberry mojito cocktail. For extra vibrancy, color, and flavor, add a couple of tablespoons of hibiscus syrup or crème de cassis.
Crafting the perfect blackberry lime margarita will require your favorite tequila (gold or silver), a little triple sec, a lime, your sweetener of choice, and, of course, a salted glass rim. If you prefer a light and fresh vodka delight, try a blackberry lime vodka fizz by mixing your blackberry and lime ingredients with flavored seltzer water like La Croix's Curaté Muré (blackberry cucumber). All of these selections are both fresh and fruity, making them perfect sippers for summer parties or a day spent poolside.
9. Mango
Bring on the summer aperitifs with mango. The orange, juicy flesh of mango makes a satisfying, colorfully contrasting ingredient to blend with the dark and mysterious blackberry. For a spicy, tropical treat, you might try blending blackberries in a traditional mangonada drink. The mangonada is typically a frozen drink that, aside from the mango, includes ingredients like chamoy sauce and tamarind candy for a sweet and sour panache. It's often garnished with chili powder and lime, per Greengos Cantina. Try mixing a smooth blend of frozen blackberries with your mangonada for the ultimate fruity concoction.
Mango and blackberry can be combined in a variety of other drinks like a mango blackberry vodka cooler, spritzer, margarita, or mojito. Muddle or blend your mango and blackberries separately, adding mint if desired, then mix a simple syrup into each. Fill your glasses with crushed ice and add the fruit mixtures one at a time, along with vodka and a splash of club soda on top.
10. Mint
Mint complements a variety of cocktails and drinks, and it certainly mixes well with blackberry flavoring. According to Imbibe, spearmint is one of the most popularly used types of mint in bars, as it's widely available. One cocktail that puts mint front and center is the mojito. Made simply with lime juice, rum, sugar, soda, and mint, mixing it up with blackberries gives it a fruity flare. Another minty potion is a blackberry mint julep, which is closely related to the mojito. The julep, however, replaces rum with bourbon and a dash of bitters and often excludes soda. Muddle and mix whichever of these delicious recipes you prefer and pour over shaved or crushed ice.
For a summer refresher, try a blackberry mint smash. You can incorporate other liquors like vodka or gin, or even Japanese sake or sparkling wine. For a dark and stimulating blackberry martini, muddle the fruit and add vodka, crème de violette, and fresh lemon juice. Then, mix and strain while adding mint and extra blackberries for garnish. Delish!
11. Orange
Juicy and sweet, oranges offer a flavor punch to heighten any old drink. Orange juice is known for getting along with several smooth types of liquor like tequila, vodka, and gin, but other than its common appearances in Sunday brunch mimosas, it's largely gone out of style as a cocktail ingredient (via VinePair). If you want to bring the orange juice trend back into fashion, or at least into your kitchen, the orange blackberry rambler features a powerhouse combination of lush berries, lemon juice, simple syrup, orange bitters, and juice mixed with bourbon. An elegant concoction might also be a blackberry orange gin fizz, which includes mixing the main elements of blackberries, orange juice, and gin with lemon, herbs like rosemary, and club soda.
Add some spice to your sweet indulgence with a blackberry orange margarita that features jalapeno or serrano peppers. Besides using orange juice, other types of orange essences you might try are triple sec, orange liqueur, or a sparkling flavored soda like Fresca, which mingles well with Tito's vodka. If you don't want to overpower your creation with too much citrus flavor, an orange peel is a decorative must-have that will add only a hint of zest to the taste and scent of the drink.
12. Peach
A popular summertime fruit, peaches complement a variety of foods, including herbs, nuts, and spices. From baked goods to chilling desserts, blackberries and peaches are a dynamic duo. Some of the top types of peaches to include in your next blackberry cocktail might be yellow, white, donut, or nectarine. Cool and enchanting, consider a white peach blackberry sangria that blends the seasonal fruits with a dry white wine, sugar, and a little elderflower liqueur for a boost of earthy freshness.
Fresh or frozen, step up the classic Italian peach Bellini by adding blended blackberries, lemon juice, and prosecco, or your favorite sparkling wine. Another refreshingly sweet way is to mix all your ingredients for a smash cocktail to mingle with bourbon, club soda, and fresh basil leaves. Besides sipping on it, make it a snack by incorporating chunks of peaches and whole blackberries, including crafting a peach blackberry cobbler cocktail by adding cream or milk. Make it a classy event with a cosmopolitan that includes peach schnapps, blackberry liqueur (or syrup), and vodka.
13. Red wine
While opaque and a little tart, blackberries, and red wine naturally merge in both their appearance and flavor. With similar rich, velvety hues, blackberry wine cocktails are satiable. Drink to warm days and long nights with a cold pitcher of blackberry sangria. A summertime staple, a traditional sangria recipe often fuses together oranges, apples, apricots, or other fruits along with brandy and is served chilled. Typical red wines to try with sangria might be a Grenache, pinot noir, or merlot. For an extra perk, make it a spritzer by adding sparkling water, tonic, Champagne, or prosecco.
You might experiment with other spirits to include within your red wine cocktail, although brandy is fitting for sangria. For a smooth, sophisticated drink, compose a martini with vodka and blackberry liqueur (or muddled berries) with a twist of lemon. A fiery, yet icy blackberry wine-a-rita is also enticing, as it blends tequila with flavors of lemon and lime. With ½ teaspoon of habanero green sauce, this formula keeps things chill by adding frozen margarita mix and fresh or frosted berries to the potent cocktail.
14. Rosemary
While herbs such as basil, mint, and thyme get along well with blackberries, rosemary is one that stands out with its bold, lingering pine fragrance. Like a petite evergreen twig, the spiky shrub can be minced or muddled to add its authentic essence to your blackberry cocktail. If you don't always have a fresh abundance of rosemary within reach, you might attempt to make an herb-infused simple syrup for easy access and an instant "woodsy flavor," per Food & Wine. Whether freshly cut or implemented as a sweetener, rosemary's elegance and taste are made for winter holiday celebrations or other festive occasions.
If you're looking for a drink with a smoky aura, try a blackberry rosemary whiskey smash. Mix the main ingredients with lemon juice, maple syrup, a bit of fresh ginger, and club soda for a cocktail with real bravado. For added drama, you might ignite the end of a rosemary twig for a smoky effect. Keep things light and simple with a thirst-quenching vodka fizz while adding some bright citrus elements like lime or grapefruit with a pretty rosemary stem.
15. Sparkling wine
When it comes to class and sophistication, nothing tops a sparkling wine cocktail. While invigorating on their own, Champagne, cava, prosecco, and other sparkling wines best showcase their bubbly charm and their dry or sweet grape flavor when paired with various other fruits. For a fresh and stylish tincture, add your favorite sparkling wine to muddled blackberries (strained or not) along with a little simple syrup or sugar and a twist of lemon. You could also make it simple by combining only blackberry liqueur and Champagne for a clean, crisp presentation and taste. Pour a tablespoon of the liqueur at the bottom and fill up the glass with sparkles and froth.
To kick your cocktail into a higher gear, add an ounce or two of vodka or another liquor of choice. For an earthy flare, incorporate herbs for garnish like thyme, rosemary, or basil to complement the concoction, plus whole blackberries to accompany the glass. If you like a slightly sweeter effervescence to savor, try mixing in a sparkling rosé to round out your blackberry cocktail.