Procuring Produce for Cocktails

We're in the wonderful season of ripening berries.  It will be easy to find them at farmers' markets, fruit stands, grocery stores, and pick your own.  I've found both blackberries and blueberries worthwhile additions to my yard-scape.  Dig a good hole in a sunny space and fertilize a few times a year, particularly the blueberries.  My back yard became too shady, so I've started the blues in the front.   Blackberry bushes are less desirable for formal areas, as they spread in weedy and gangly way!

Here are some cocktail suggestions.

Maybe you have an herb garden too... 

Blackberry Sage Gin Smash

yield: 2 COCKTAILS prep time: 2 MINUTES cook time: 5 MINUTES total time: 7 MINUTES

The combo of sage and blackberry in this cocktail works brilliantly with the floral gin.

 4 oz Hendrick’s gin

 1 oz lime juice

 12 blackberries

 10 sage leaves

 1 oz simple syrup

 1/3 cup water

 1/3 cup sugar + more for dusting

 Club soda

INSTRUCTIONS

Bring 1/3 cup water and 1/3 cup sugar to a boil over medium heat. Once the sugar is dissolved, dip 2 sage leaves carefully in the hot simple syrup, shaking off the excess. Roll the leaves in a light coat of sugar and lay flat on a plate to cool and harden in the refrigerator.

In a shaker, muddle together blackberries with 8 sage leaves. Pour in gin, lime juice and simple syrup and fill with ice.

Shake and strain evenly between into two glasses filled with ice.

Top with club soda and garnish with extra blackberries and candied sage leaves.
|Blackberry Sage Gin Smash with Candied Sage Leaves - Cake 'n Knife (cakenknife.com)

Here's one with bourbon.  Recipe as written makes enough blueberry simple syrup - which keeps in fridge a month - for many drinks using 1 oz of syrup.

Blueberry Bourbon Smash

Servings:  1

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup water

1 pt blueberry, very ripe

ice

2 oz bourbon

1 oz lemon juice

1 oz blueberry simple syrup

ginger beer, to taste

lemon wedge, for garnish

Preparation

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the brown sugar and water. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar completely.

Add the blueberries to the pot and boil until the berries begin to burst, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for 5–10 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth.

Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the bourbon, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Shake vigorously for 20 seconds.

Strain into a glass filled with ice and top with ginger beer.

Garnish with lemon wedge.

Enjoy!

Blueberry Bourbon Smash Recipe by Tasty  

Super fun!

Blackberry Mojito Popsicles

Drink your cocktail and eat it too with a refreshing recipe for Blackberry Mojito Popsicles!

4 hrs

COOK TIME  0 mins

TOTAL TIME 4 hrs

SERVINGS 8 popsicles

2 cups blackberries

1 cup fresh mint leaves

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/3 cup white rum

EQUIPMENT: popsicle molds; popsicle sticks

Instructions 

In a blender, combine the blackberries, mint, sugar and lime juice and blend until puréed.

Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the seeds then stir in the rum.

Pour the mixture into popsicle molds, insert sticks and freeze for a minimum of 4 hours or until frozen solid.

Blackberry Mojito Popsicles | Just a Taste