Blackberry margarita

This blackberry margarita is an easy and fruity twist on the classic. It's brightly colored and with a gently berry flavor that pairs well with the citrusy base. It makes a great sippable cocktail, whether a bright sunny day or one that needs a little brightness added.

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The margarita is a modern classic cocktail, for many good reasons. For one, it's incredibly simple, with just a few ingredients. Then, it obviously helps that the combination is tasty. But it's also really easy to adapt with various additions to build on the basic formula.

Some of my favorites include my passion fruit margarita, tamarind margarita and pomegranate margarita. This one is another easy and tasty variation that's worth giving a try.

What are the origins of a classic margarita?

Despite being a relatively modern drink, the exact origins of the margarita are a bit debated. One of the most popular stories is that a Tijuana restaurant owner, Carlos "Danny" Herrera, invented it in 1938. But he's far from the only person to claim being the creator.

Another possibility is that 'margarita' is simply the Spanish for 'daisy' and in fact if you swap out the brandy in the Prohibition-era Daisy for tequila (and lemon for lime), this is what you would get. But the drink definitely feels different, especially with the traditional salt rim.

Whatever the origin, it has, of course, become a worldwide favorite. A perfect version should have a good balance of sweet, tart and sour flavors. It's a type of sour cocktail, but with it's own characteristic combination of tequila and triple sec or Grand Marnier. Traditionally, there's not any additional sweetener, but many variations add a little simple syrup as well.  

How to make a blackberry margarita

This blackberry variation is really easy, at least in it's basic form. You start by muddling some blackberries in a cocktail shaker until lots of juices are coming out of them. Then, add the other ingredients, along with some ice, and shake well.

Strain the mixture into a glass over ice and serve. Typically, you add a salt rim to the glass as I have here, but if you prefer, you can skip that. But it's easy to do, looks good and the salt gives a good contrast to the drink, too.

When I say "in it's basic form", that's because you can vary this a little. While you will get a great color from the muddled blackberries, the flavor is not particularly strong. It's there, but a little in the background. So, if you want to make it a little stronger, you can make a blackberry simple syrup to add a little more blackberry flavor that way, too.

Boosting the blackberry (if you choose to)

Making blackberry syrup is also easy, it just takes a little preparation. All you do is put equal parts water and sugar in a small pan, add roughly the same volume or slightly more of blackberries and warm over a medium heat. As it warms, the sugar will dissolve and the blackberries will soften.

Mash the berries as they warm to help release the juices into the mixture. Then, once it reaches a simmer, cook a couple more minutes then turn off the heat and let the mixture cool. As it cools, more flavor (and color) will come out of the blackberries.

Once it has cooled, strain the mixture to remove all the solids then store in a sealed container, such as a jar or bottle, in the fridge. It will keep for at least a week, but likely longer. Just be sure to discard if you get any mould on top. As long as it's good, you may want to stir or shake before using in case it settles out a little.

I'd suggest making an amount with quarter a cup of water (60ml), quarter cup sugar (50g) and just under half a cup (2oz/55g) of blackberries is about the smallest volume you can make, but as I say it will keep to make more of these, other cocktails or an easy soda/flavored water. You can also scale up to make a larger batch, as suits.

To use in this margarita, simple use the blackberry syrup in place of the simple syrup. Then otherwise, it's all the same. You'll get that little more blackberry flavor as well as color, so if you have time, and berries, it's definitely something to consider.

Either way, this blackberry margarita is a bright and tasty variation on the classic cocktail, with both a pretty color and more subtle yet bright berry flavor. Easy to make and super sippable. Be sure to add it to your drinks list.

Try these other fruity twists on classic cocktails:

• Maracuya sour (passion fruit pisco sour)
• Raspberry caipirinha
• Watermelon mojito
• Hibiscus margarita
• Plus get more cocktail recipes in the archives.

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