Blackberry Vodka Gimlet

Recipe from Margaritas, Mojitos & More  

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

(Makes 1 drink) Easily doubled :-)

Last week, we went blackberry picking with our good buddies, Janet and Nathan. Most of the berries ended up in the freezer. I was dying to make a pie with them, but my hubby didn't want to heat up the house with the oven on. (Hmmmmm. Heat or Sweet. I was surprised with his decision.) Anyway, I went on a girlie shopping trip in Louisville and found this book with drink recipes. Lo and behold, there was this blackberry drink recipe and I thought, "No oven for this treat." We tried it out on our friends and we all found it to be deeeeelicious! I'm sure you can leave out the alcohol if you wish and it would still be refreshingly yummy. Lost River Market & Deli now has local blackberries, so make plans to whip this up and take a moment to relax and enjoy this glorious summer heat!

5 large blackberries

1 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice

1 teaspoon Simple Syrup (recipe on this blog) (I used a bit more)

Ice cubes

1-ounce vodka (I used a bit less)

1 sprig mint for garnish

Combine the blackberries, lime juice, and simple syrup in a glass. Crush the berries with a muddler or spoon until they are mashed into the mixture. (You can do this with an immersion blender, if you have one.)

Put a handful of ice in a cocktail shaker. Add vodka and the blackberry mixture over the ice. Shake until very cold.

Pour into a glass and garnish with a sprig of mint.

Note:  To have it ready in advance for four dinner guests, quadruple the recipe and leave the blackberry mixture in the fridge until it’s time to mix with the ice and serve.