Shake up your summer cocktail game with these easy Blackberry Vodka Tonics - made with simple home-infused blackberry vodka!
The sun is finally out! I think that means it's time for a drink.
I'm not usually one to go all nutso over fruity pink cocktails, but these Blackberry Vodka Tonics definitely merit an exception. They're fruity without being overly sweet, crazy easy to make, and (BONUS) we even fancypants it up a lil' bit by infusing the blackberry vodka ourselves.
Some similar recipes call for a sweet blackberry simple syrup in these types of cocktails, but I prefer to infuse the vodka instead. I love how decidedly un-sweet regular vodka tonics are, and I wanted to preserve that same balance for these drinks.
Infusing your own vodka is simple to do and lets you take advantage of all that natural blackberry flavor without turning this into a sweet cocktail. It takes a couple of days of infusing time to pull out all the flavor, but it's worth it!
Just look at that color! ⬆⬆⬆
This recipe makes four cocktails, but I've included a ratio in the recipe notes so you can easily size it up or down depending on how many people you need it to serve. (Sometimes you just need cocktails-for-four for one, you know?)
I really do feel like these are the perfect light, springy cocktails for sunny afternoons. Don't they just scream "HELLO! BLOW OFF WORK FOR THE AFTERNOON AND DRINK ME ON THE PATIO INSTEAD!" to you? Because that's definitely the vibe I'm getting.
Related: If anyone needs me, I'll be sitting on our patio, blowing off work for the afternoon, and enjoying the sunshine. And also drinking another one of these blackberry vodka tonics.
Blackberry Vodka Tonics
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 36 hours (inactive)
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: Serves 4
- Category: Cocktails
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Easy vodka tonics with homemade blackberry infused vodka.
Ingredients
FOR THE BLACKBERRY VODKA:
- 1 cup vodka
- 1 cup fresh blackberries
FOR THE VODKA TONICS:
- 2 cups tonic water
- 1 lime, sliced
- ½ cup fresh blackberries, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
FOR THE BLACKBERRY VODKA:
- Combine blackberries and vodka in a jar or container with an airtight lid.
- Put the lid on the container and store blackberry vodka mixture in the fridge for at least three days. I like to give the jar a shake every day or so, just to help the blackberries release all their juices. When vodka is ready, it should be pink in color.
- Strain infused vodka through a mesh strainer into a measuring cup. Discard or compost the leftover blackberry pulp (or save it in the freezer for daiquiris!)
FOR THE VODKA TONICS:
- Fill 4 cocktail glasses with ice.
- Divide blackberry vodka evenly between the glasses (approx. 2 oz. of vodka per glass).
- Divide tonic water evenly between the glasses (approx. ½ cup of tonic water per glass).
- Squeeze the juice of 1 or 2 lime slices into each drink, and drop the limes into the glass as a garnish.
- Garnish drinks with a few fresh blackberries (optional) and serve immediately.
Notes
You can use frozen blackberries if fresh ones aren't in season, but you may need to infuse the vodka for a few extra days to extract the same amount of flavor.
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.
This recipe is easy to scale up for a crowd. Just use the following ratio: 1 part blackberries, 1 part vodka, 1 part lime (1 part = 1 whole lime), 2 parts tonic water. 1:1:1:2. Easy peasy!
Nutrition
- Calories: 192
Keywords: cocktails, spirits, summer
