Blackberry Bergamot Gin Gimlet

Nothing says summer like a blackberry cocktail! This Blackberry Bergamot Gin Gimlet is such a tasty and elegant drink for summer sipping. Italicus liqueur is the perfect addition to balance out the sweet blackberry flavor and add an interesting citrusy flavor note. This is also such an easy drink to make for a home happy hour!

Summer is the perfect season to enjoy this drink, since blackberries are usually the best & sweetest during the summertime! Try to find the juiciest blackberries you can in order to get all the berry goodness.

For some more tasty blackberry recipes, try out this fabulous Blackberry Margarita, or this easy & tasty Blackberry Gin Sour.

If you're looking for more elegant summer cocktails, try out the showstopping French Gimlet, the refreshing Eastside cocktail or the classic gin Gimlet recipe.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you'll need to have on hand:

• Gin
• Italicus bergamot liqueur
• Fresh blackberries
• Lime juice
• Fresh mint and an extra blackberry (optional - for garnish)

Substitutions

This is a pretty simple cocktail, so it's best to use the best ingredients you can! But there are definitely substitutions you can make if you are missing something.

If you don't have gin (or just don't like it), try using vodka, tequila or even a flavored vodka like citrus vodka.

For the Italicus, try using Limoncello instead. The drink will likely have a more mild and sweeter flavor.

For the lime, you can use lemon in its place, but you may need to increase the amount to 1 ounce.

If you don't have blackberries, go for raspberries instead. Or, you can try using up to ½ ounce of blackberry puree.

Variations

Here are some variations on this recipe:

• Sweeter version - if this cocktail is not sweet enough for you, you could use Rose's lime cordial in place of the fresh lime juice. Or, add in up to ½ ounce of blackberry syrup, or just plain simple syrup.
• Non-alcoholic - if you're avoiding alcohol, try using a gin substitute, like Monday Zero alcohol gin. You can also replace the Italicus with Fabbri bergamot syrup.
• Highball - instead of using a coupe glass to serve this drink, use a tall Collins glass. Serve it over ice and top it off with some seltzer. Even more refreshing!

Equipment

You'll need some basic bar tools to make this drink. A jigger, a cocktail shaker and a strainer are musts. You'll also probably want to have a fine mesh strainer too, in order to catch any blackberry seeds.

To mash up the berries, a muddler is also great to have. If you don't have a muddler, you can just use a long fork.

For the glass, I used these pretty hand-blown coupe glasses. They hold 6 ounces each, which is a great size for this drink.

Note: A Bar Above has my favorite bar tools if you're looking for some new ones! You can get 10% off using my discount code, LKDrinks.

Instructions

Start out by adding blackberries to your cocktail shaker. Mash them up with a muddler. (Don't over-mash them, or you'll get some extra bitterness in the drink from the blackberry skin.)

Add in the lime juice and the Italicus liqueur.

Add in the gin, and then fill the cocktail shaker with ice.

Seal up the shaker, and then shake vigorously, about 15-20 hard shakes.

Strain the drink into your serving glass. If you can, use a fine mesh strainer in addition to the regular strainer, so you can catch any stray blackberry seeds.

Add an extra blackberry and a sprig of fresh mint to a cocktail pick. Rest it on the rim of the glass, and serve.

Hint: Put your serving glass in the fridge or freezer for 15 to 30 minutes before making the drink, so it will stay extra cold!