Right around this time of the summer, our berry bushes start to go crazy. Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries. So many that we literally can’t harvest them fast enough – especially the raspberries. Many of them end up as maroon red splotches on the paved driveway! But many more of them end up in our bellies, and one of my favorite way to get them there is in a delicious, refreshing summer cocktail.
This particular cocktail features tart blackberries paired with fragrant elderflower vodka. The beautiful blood red color of the blackberries comes through in the muddling process of making this cocktail. The fruitiness of these berries is a lovely foil to the wildly fragrant aroma and taste of the elderflower vodka.
Now let me tell you about this vodka. Imagine a vodka, where every time you consumed a beverage containing it, you were thrust into a lovely springtime afternoon. That is the essence of how beautiful this elderflower vodka is. For those who love St. Germain, elderflower vodka is a natural progression from the floral tones of St. Germain.
My personal favorite elderflower vodka is the locally distilled White Blossom Vodka by Valentine Distilling Co. in Ferndale, MI. This vodka is flavored with elderflower and grapefruit and sweetened with local beet sugar to create an incredibly complex floral vodka. Just mix with fragrant mint, fresh blackberries, and tart lemon, and top with bubbly San Pelligrino to create a crazy refreshing summertime drink!
Ingredients
- 3 mint leaves, plus extra for garnish
- 2 blackberries, plus extra for garnish
- 1/2 oz. lemon juice
- 1 1/2 oz. elderflower vodka (such as Valentine's Distillery Co. White Blossom Vodka)
- 1/2 oz. mint simple syrup (see below)
- San Pelligrino
- For mint simple syrup:
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 bunch of mint
Instructions
In the bottom of a shaker, muddle mint leaves and blackberries with the lemon juice. Fill shaker with ice. Add vodka and mint simple syrup. Shake for 20-30 seconds. Fill a rocks glass with ice. Strain contents of shaker into the glass. Top with San Pelligrino. Garnish with a mint leaf and/or blackberry if desired.
To make simple syrup, combine water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat and add the mint leaves. Allow to steep for 10 minutes. Remove mint leaves and allow simple syrup to cool before use. Can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one month.
