This refreshing blackberry cocktail is perfect for summertime! A sweet and refreshing whiskey cocktail drink with sweet blackberries and a hint of earthiness from fresh rosemary.
In a hurry? Click here to jump straight to the recipe!
I jumped on TWO bandwagons today, you guys. Sometimes, a food blogger’s just gotta do what a food blogger’s gotta do. Especially when the bandwagons in question are mason jars and fun stripe-y straws. AMIRITE?
Also, the bandwagoning was all in the name of this super delicious Blackberry Whiskey Lemonade. Which means it was totally 100% justified. I would pretty much do anything for this whiskey lemonade. And given how much I love mah draaaanks, that’s really saying something.
Actually, this particular drink was inspired by a Blackberry Bourbon Lemonade we had at Yardbird while in Miami for BlogHer Food last month. It was one of our favorite stops on the whole trip, and I was in looooove with their drink menu. So, naturally, when I got back one of my first orders of business was to try and recreate all the delicious things we ate on that trip – starting with this drink.
I ended up adapting it a bit from the Yardbird version and a bit from my own Sweet Whiskey Lemonade, and then I added a fresh rosemary sprig for a little bit of depth and earthiness. I actually really liked this version, but if you want to lighten it up a bit (or temper the whiskey-ness!) you could add a splash of tonic water or sparkling wine.
Blackberry Whiskey Lemonade: The Video!
- 12 oz. fresh blackberries
- ½ cup sugar
- 7.5 oz. whiskey
- 7.5 oz. lemon juice
- 1 large rosemary sprig
- 6 oz. blackberry simple syrup
- Put the blackberries and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until blackberries have softened and you have a thick syrup.
- Strain syrup through a mesh sieve to separate any seeds or lumps from the syrup. You can discard the leftover pulp, although I like to freeze it in ice cube trays and pop a cube or two in smoothies.
- Let syrup cool on the counter for 20 minutes or so before you make the drinks.
- Combine all ingredients in a large shaker and add a handful or two of ice cubes. Depending on the size of your shaker, you may have to shake the drinks in two batches.
- Shake to combine and chill drinks.
- Pour over ice into glasses and serve.
Fresh, in-season blackberries are generally so juicy that you don't really need water as an added liquid for this simple syrup - you just have to give them enough time to do their thing and release all their juices! If you'd like to speed the cooking process or if your berries are on the drier side, add ½ cup water to the syrup and cook normally.
Use basil instead of rosemary for a fun twist!
For a stronger herb flavor, add a sprig or two of rosemary to the syrup while it cooks.
You can substitute other liquors for the whiskey in this recipe if you like - personally, though, I love the depth of flavor that whiskey or bourbon bring to this cocktail!
Love this post? You might also like...
Sweet Whiskey Lemonade
Strawberry Whiskey Lemonade
Rosemary Watermelon Cocktails
Blueberry Whiskey Spritzers
Can I freeze the mix and thaw when ready to use? Could I make it without the lemon flavor and add to lemonade?
You can certainly freeze the blackberry syrup and lemon juice, but I’d leave the whiskey out since liquor doesn’t really freeze. I’ve never made this with premade lemonade – only with fresh squeezed lemon juice – but you could certainly give it a try! You may just need to adjust the ratio of syrup and whiskey to lemonade to help it suit your tastes.
I would love to make this in a big batch for our signature cocktail at our reception! Could we substitute the homemade simple syrup for a store bought blackberry syrup (Torani)?
Hi, Stephanie! I haven’t used store-bought blackberry syrup, so I couldn’t say for sure, but you can definitely give it a try! I’d just say be sure to taste it before serving – cocktails are pretty forgiving, so if you find it’s a little too sweet with the store bought syrup you can always add more lemon juice or whiskey to bring the flavor balance back to a place you like it. I hope that helps!
I’ve made fruit syrups like this for a long time, to use in all sorts of things, drinks, ice cream, crêpes, etc. But just to let you know, simple syrup is sugar and water. Period. If you add ANYTHING else, it is no longer simple syrup. Depending on what ingredients you use, it may be a fruit syrup (like this one, which I love to use,) a flavored syrup (such as mint, orange, etc.,) but it is NOT simple syrup. There is a great deal of misinformation spread on blogs, where people just copy the false information from each other without bothering to check the facts. Please help break that chain by correcting your error. Thank you.
Thanks for your comment, Karla! I grew up in professional kitchens with a family of food professionals and have worked in the food industry (not just with a blog) for more than a decade. We all still call it simple syrup 🙂 You can certainly choose to use another name if you prefer!
Does the simple syrup recipe make the 6 ounces needed for the lemonade or is there extra?
Generally, yes – you will have plenty of simple syrup. If you need to stretch it a bit, though, you can always add a few splashes of water to the syrup and heat it back up (but you should be fine sticking with the syrup as written).
Do you think the simple syrup could be made a few days ahead of time and kept in a jar in the fridge?
Definitely!
Would frozen blackberries work for this?
Absolutely!
Do you think this would work with other berries (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries)? And this sounds so delicious–what do you think of using a honey whiskey? (Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey or Jim Beam Honey etc)?
You can definitely use different berries for this recipe! Personally, I don’t like the honey whiskeys, but if you like their flavors you could definitely give it a try! You may just need to reduce the sugar a little bit in the berry reduction to counteract for the added sweetness of the honey whiskey.
Great, thanks!
What whiskey is best to use for this drink?
We’re big whiskey fans, so we tend to experiment with a new variety every time – but when in doubt (or when making them for a crowd), I tend to grab Bushmills Irish Whiskey – it’s on the cheaper end of the spectrum where we are and it’s smooth enough that non-whiskey-drinkers still tend to like it in the cocktail. Hope that helps!
I am not a whisky drinker but do you think the blackberry whisky drink would work with vodka?
Definitely! A friend who doesn’t like whiskey makes a vodka version of this pretty frequently – you may just want to give it a taste before you pour it into glasses and see if it needs any extra citrus to brighten up the flavor.
Oh my gosh this looks amazing!!
And btw…your blog design is beautiful and love all the material you have on here! Inspiring!
I just followed you on all our shared social media sites…I would love for your to take a look at my blog and if you like what I present, I’d love to get your following!! http://www.relentlessatheart.com
Thanks,
Natalie
Thanks, Natalie! And I’m so glad you like the blog – I have a lot of fun doing the design so it’s so wonderful to hear that you like it! I’ll definitely take a look at your site. Thanks!
I found your recipe on Pinterest and it is beyond deliciously dangerous !! I’m serving it today at my 4th of July BBQ! Have a happy 4th
I’m so glad you like it! Thanks for letting me know it turned out (and I hope you had a great 4th!)
Do you not need to add water to the sugar blackberry mix for the simple syrup..
I generally don’t, because the fresh blackberries we get around here usually release more than enough juice to make the syrup. If it looks a little dry, though, by all means add a 1/4 or so of water to the mix!
Can you recommend a particular brand of whiskey for this drink? There’s so many, I’m a little lost.
Tried this, and altogether it failed badly.
I’m sorry to hear that! I’ve been making this drink fairly often lately without any problems (it’s one of my current favorites!) If you’d like to give me some more specific details, I’m happy to help you troubleshoot!
I just finished making this. It was so sour it was undrinkable. I’m going to try adding simple syrup to start.
I’m so sorry to hear that! I love the tartness of the berries and lemon, but totally understand it’s not for everyone. If you want to sweeten it up, regular simple syrup should do the trick. The blackberries can also make a difference – early season blackberries tend to be a little more tart than later season berries (I tend to find the sweetest blackberries around August each year). I also like to mellow out the flavor sometimes by adding tonic water (or even champagne) to the finished drink – it cuts some of that tart flavor and makes the whole thing lighter, more like a spritzer, which can be a nice change. I hope you’ll try it again and let me know how it goes with the adjustments!
Do you have a version without alcohol that would be sweet? Please put me on your mailing list. Thanks.
I haven’t tested a version of this without alcohol, but you could certainly use the blackberry syrup as extra flavoring in regular lemonade. If you’d like to join the email list, you can click here to sign up!
I have an abundance of fresh blackberries, and I love this idea! My fourth of July menu appears to be complete!
Thanks for what looks to be a great recipe! I’m a big whiskey fan, but I overdid it on whiskey sours last summer. This looks like it could be this season’s drink.
I love a good summer cocktail. Thank you!
Oh, so refreshing! This would be great for 4th of July! 🙂