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 (1/2 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.
