Shake up your summer cocktail game with an easy blackberry vodka tonic! With homemade blackberry infused vodka and fresh lime wedges. The perfect easy, show-stopping cocktail for a party!
A good vodka blackberry cocktail just screams summer to me. This refreshing drink is fruity without being overly sweet (see also: our favorite watermelon cocktail recipe), and a bit of blackberry vodka gives it a lovely light pink color.
This is a pretty straightforward vodka tonic recipe, but with one notable change: We're using a homemade blackberry infused vodka. Infusing vodka may sound complicated, but the process is deceptively easy: All you need is a mason jar and a few days in the fridge to let the berries work their magic.
This recipe makes two cocktails as written, but it's easy to scale up for a crowd!
Ingredients
For exact quantities, scroll to the recipe card below.
Before you jump in, we want to share a few quick notes:
- Vodka. Because the berries will impart some flavor, you don't need to go ultra-top-shelf for this vodka tonic recipe. Still, you'll definitely taste the liquor, so use a vodka you enjoy (we typically test our recipes with Tito's vodka or Absolut).
- Fresh blackberries are the star of the show! If you can't find fresh blackberries, frozen will work (but frozen berries may take some extra time to infuse the vodka).
- Tonic water gives these drinks fizz and flavor. Swap it for plain seltzer, club soda, champagne or prosecco if you like! We used Fever Tree Tonic Water in these photos.
- Fresh lime wedges lend brightness and acidity. Squeeze a wedge or two into each drink just before serving! (Skip the bottled grocery store lime juice: Fresh lime juice tastes much better here.)
Variations and Substitutions
- Swap the fresh lime for a lemon or an orange.
- Use any fruit you like! Peaches, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or pineapple all work well in infused vodka.
- Add fresh herbs to your vodka as it infuses for extra depth and flavor. Rosemary, thyme, and basil are all good here!
- Add garnishes! A fresh mint sprig, slices of cucumber, fresh berries, or extra lime wedges give a colorful spin to these fruity cocktails.
Why Infuse the Vodka?
There are two main ways to add berries to cocktails. Some recipes incorporate the whole fruit, either by blending it into a purée or muddling it directly in the shaker or glass. Others simmer berries with sugar and water to make simple syrup, then strain the solids (we use this technique often, in drinks like our blueberry whiskey cocktail or strawberry whiskey lemonade).
Because vodka tonics are simple and crisp, we didn't want to weigh this drink down with added sugar or the texture of smashed berries. The next best way to get that rich blackberry flavor: Infuse it into the vodka itself!
How to Make Blackberry Vodka
Grab a clean mason jar with a tight-fitting lid. Add fresh, washed blackberries to the jar, then pour vodka over the top of the berries, making sure the fruit is completely submerged. Screw on the lid, give the jar a light shake, then transfer it to the fridge.
Let this jar sit in the fridge for a few days. To help the process along and extract maximum color, give the jar a quick shake a few times a day. As the jar sits, you'll notice the vodka take on more and more color.
Pro Tip: Fresh blackberries (especially if they are local and picked at peak ripeness) tend to flavor the vodka more quickly than frozen berries. Keep an eye on the vodka as it infuses, and give it a taste to see if it needs more time!
It takes at least three days for the vodka to pick up enough blackberry flavor that you'll notice it in cocktails, but you can leave the jar in the fridge for a week or two if you want stronger color and flavor. Most of the blackberry flavor and color will seep into the vodka during that first 7-10 days in the fridge: We don't find it makes a big difference if you let it steep any longer than that.
Once you're happy with the infused vodka, use a fine mesh strainer to remove any blackberry chunks. Transfer the remaining blackberry vodka to a sealable glass container. Discard or compost the leftover berries (or save them in the freezer for daiquiris, margaritas, or other blended cocktails!)
Keep infused vodka in an airtight container in the fridge until you're ready to use it.
Food Safety Tip: The high alcohol content of vodka helps minimize spoilage, so berries will last quite a while in vodka in the fridge. As always, use common sense in the kitchen. Discard or compost berries if they smell "off" or show signs of mold.
Assembling the Cocktails
Fill a lowball glass with a handful of ice cubes. Top with infused blackberry vodka, tonic water, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Add garnishes if you like, then serve immediately and enjoy!
FAQs
Vodka is our favorite spirit to infuse, because its mild flavor makes it a perfect blank canvas for different fruits and herbs. While vodka is our go-to for this simple cocktail recipe, gin also works well here. That said, you can infuse just about any liquor you like (like tequila, whiskey, or rum!) We recommend sticking with high proof (at least 40% ABV, or 80 proof) liquor for infusions to help minimize spoilage.
If you're short on time, muddle or mash blackberries (3-4 berries is plenty) in the bottom of each glass, then pour regular vodka and tonic water over the top! You can also blend the fresh blackberries until they're smooth and add a small tablespoon of blackberry purée to each cocktail in lieu of infused vodka.
If it's refrigerated in a clean, airtight container, homemade infused vodka will last 3-6 months or more. Some people keep infused vodka in the fridge for years, but we find the flavor tends to wane over time, so we recommend using it within a few months for best results.
You'll likely have some infused vodka left over after making this blackberry vodka cocktail! Use this blackberry vodka in all kinds of vodka cocktails: It's great in a classic vodka soda or a vodka martini (like our cranberry lemon drop!)
More Summer Cocktail Ideas
📖 Recipe
Blackberry Vodka Tonics
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Let the Vodka Infuse: 3 days
- Cook Time: 1 minute
- Total Time: 3 days, 10 minutes
- Yield: Makes 2
- Category: Cocktails
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A classic vodka tonic gets a summertime twist with homemade blackberry infused vodka!
Ingredients
For the Blackberry Vodka:
- 1 cup fresh blackberries
- 1 cup vodka
For the Cocktails:
- 2-3 cups ice
- 4 ounces blackberry vodka (½ cup), recipe below
- 8 ounces tonic water (1 cup)
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- Fresh blackberries, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Make the Blackberry Vodka (3-10 days):
- Add blackberries and vodka to a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid. Make sure the blackberries are fully submerged in the vodka, then screw on the lid and give the jar a light shake.
- Transfer jar to the fridge and store for at least three days. To help the process along, lightly shake the jar once or twice a day.
- After three days in the fridge, the vodka should have a light pink color and a slight blackberry aroma. Use the infused vodka now, or let it spend a few more days in the fridge for deeper color and stronger blackberry flavor.
- When you're happy with the vodka infusion, use a fine mesh strainer to remove the blackberries. Discard or compost the berries, or freeze them to use in blended cocktails in the future.
- Transfer blackberry vodka to a clean glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and store in the refrigerator until you're ready to use it, up to 6 months.
Make the Cocktails:
- Fill two cocktail glasses halfway with ice.
- Add 2 ounces of blackberry vodka to each glass, followed by 4 ounces of tonic water. Squeeze one or two lime wedges into each drink; add extra fresh blackberries as a garnish (optional). Serve immediately.
Notes
How long should I infuse my vodka? Blackberry infused vodka needs at least 3 days in the fridge to develop a bit of color and flavor, but you can let it steep for up to 2 weeks in the fridge if you like. The flavor and color will continue to intensify over the first 10 days or so, but past that you won't see a huge benefit from letting it steep longer, so we tend to strain out the berries no later than the 2-week mark. The high alcohol content here helps prevent spoilage, so the blackberries will last quite a long time in the fridge when submerged in the vodka. If you're not sure whether your blackberry vodka is ready, just give it a taste! If you want more blackberry flavor, let it infuse for another day or two. As always, use your best judgment and discard berries if they smell, mold, or show other signs of spoilage.
Additions and Substitutions. Use frozen blackberries if you don't have fresh berries handy (you may need to let the vodka sit another day or two to extract the same amount of flavor from frozen berries). Swap the blackberries for strawberries, raspberries, or peaches. Add a few sprigs of fresh herbs - like thyme, rosemary, basil, or mint - to the vodka as it infuses (herbs will turn bitter faster than berries; we recommend leaving fresh herbs in the vodka for no more than three days). Add extra garnishes if you like: cucumber slices, a mint sprig, or extra berries are all lovely here. Use lemon or orange in place of lime wedges.
What if I don't have time to infuse the vodka? Just use regular vodka! To add the berry flavor, blend blackberries until smooth and add a spoonful of the purée to each cocktail, or muddle a few berries in the bottom of each glass.
Save extra blackberry vodka for other cocktails! This recipe makes about 1 cup of infused vodka: Enough for 4 cocktails (as written, this recipe makes 2 cocktails, so you'll have some vodka left over for later!)
Should I muddle the blackberries before adding the vodka? You can if you want to! Muddling the berries will help them release their flavor a little more quickly, but it can also lend a bit of bitterness to the infused vodka, so we recommend tasting frequently if you go this route!
To make these cocktails for a crowd, just use the following ratio: 1 part blackberry vodka, 2 parts tonic water. Plan on at least 1 lime wedge per drink.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cocktail
- Calories: 190
- Sugar: 12.8 g
- Sodium: 15.9 mg
- Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Protein: 0.6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Rhonda
These are so easy and amazing! I infused extra vodka and have it in the fridge to use for this and other drinks! Thank you for such a refreshing and simple drink recipe.
Team Life As A Strawberry
YIPPEE! We love the idea of making extra to save!