This Blackberry Margarita is one of my favorite summer cocktails! It's the perfect balance between fruity, tart and sweet. It's great for any occasion from a casual backyard cookout to a fancy cocktail party!
Since blackberries are in season during the summer months, this is a great drink to make when they are super ripe and juicy. It's great for celebrating Cinco de Mayo!
If you love this margarita, you'll also enjoy this color-changing Galaxy Margarita, the pretty Prickly Pear Margarita or the delicious Lychee Margarita. Or, this raspberry Margarita with Chambord is another tasty option!
Looking for another blackberry drink to try? This simple four-ingredient Blackberry Gin Sour with Empress gin is so good!
Blackberries in cocktails
Blackberries are such a great cocktail ingredient because they have a delicious jammy flavor and a beautiful color!
In this drink, I used both mashed-up fresh blackberries and a sweetened blackberry puree. You can use just one or the other, but using both will give you a great berry flavor.
When you're choosing fresh blackberries, try to pick ones that are not too hard. The hard ones are underripe and will be a little too sour.
Berries that have a deep purple color, almost black, with a little bit of soft squishiness are ready to use!
Ingredients
You'll need just five ingredients to make this drink, plus optional garnishes.
- Tequila (reposado or blanco)
- Cointreau liqueur or Triple Sec
- Sweetened blackberry puree (I used this Blackberry puree syrup)
- Lime juice
- Fresh blackberries
- Garnishes (optional) - salt for the glass rim, more blackberries and a slice of lime
Substitutions
Need to make some substitutions? Try these ideas!
If you don't have tequila, try using gin or vodka. You can also use a flavored vodka like cucumber that will add a complementary flavor to the drink.
If you don't have the blackberry puree, try adding in a few extra fresh blackberries instead along with a little bit of maple syrup or simple syrup.
For the fresh blackberries, if you don't have them around you can use ¼ ounce (8 ml) more of the blackberry syrup instead.
Variations
Try out these new twists on this tasty drink!
For a low sugar version, try using sugar free syrup (I like allulose liquid sweetener) instead of both the blackberry puree and the Cointreau. You'll need to add in a few extra fresh blackberries to get a deeper berry flavor.
Want to make this into a mocktail? If you're avoiding alcohol, try using Lyre's Agave Blanco in place of the tequila and Lyre's Orange Sec in place of the Cointreau.
For a tasty flavor variation, add in a couple of fresh mint leaves to the shaker after you muddle your blackberries. Then garnish with a mint sprig instead of the lime for a refreshing Blackberry Mint Margarita!
Equipment
You'll just need a few basic bar tools to make this drink. A jigger, a cocktail shaker and strainer, and a serving glass are all must-haves.
A muddler is great, too, although you can always mash the berries with a long fork if you don't have one.
If you're making the garnishes, grab a small dish for the salt, as well as a knife and cutting board for the lime slice. And, a cocktail pick for the blackberries is always good!
I highly recommend A Bar Above if you need any new shakers, jiggers or cocktail picks! You can use my code LKDrinks for 10% off on their site.
Instructions
This drink is so easy to make! Start out by making your lime slice if you're using it. If you want a salt rim, wet the rim of the glass (either with water or your cut lime) and dip it into a dish of salt.
Add your fresh blackberries to the cocktail shaker and mash them up using a muddler.
Then add in the lime juice.
Pour in the blackberry puree and the Cointreau.
Add in the tequila, and then fill the shaker with ice.
Shake vigorously, about 15-20 hard shakes, to chill and aerate the drink.
Add some fresh ice to your serving glass, and then strain the drink into the glass.
Add your garnishes and serve!
Top tip - Party Prep
If you want to serve these at a party, prepping a big pitcher beforehand is the way to go! Grab a pitcher that is big enough for all of the servings you want to make.
Rather than muddling the fresh berries in the pitcher itself, you probably will want to mash them in a bowl and then use a fine mesh strainer to strain in the juice. (Or, just muddle them in the pitcher and leave them in when you're pouring the drinks.)
Then, all you need to do is multiply the ingredient amounts by the number of servings you want, plus add ½ ounce of water per serving (the water takes the place of shaking with ice). Add it all to the pitcher and keep it refrigerated until you're ready to serve.
(Hot tip - If you're making eight servings, just change the ounces to cups!)
You can even add salt your glasses and prep all of your garnishes beforehand and keep everything in the fridge. When you're ready to serve, add ice to the serving glass and pour it in from the pitcher. Cheers!
📖 Recipe
Blackberry Margarita
Equipment
- Cocktail serving glass (around 10-12 ounces)
- Knife and cutting board (if using fresh lime)
- Citrus juicer (if using fresh lime)
- Cocktail pick (for optional blackberry garnish)
- Small dish (for optional salt rim)
Ingredients
Cocktail
- 5-6 fresh blackberries
- 1 ounce lime juice
- ½ ounce sweetened blackberry puree
- ½ ounce Cointreau liqueur
- 2 ounces tequila (reposado or blanco)
Garnishes (optional)
- 1 slice lime
- 3 fresh blackberries
- fine grain salt
Instructions
- If you want a salt rim, wet the rim of your glass with either a cut lime or water and dip it into the fine grain salt. Set it aside while you make the drink.
- Add the blackberries to your cocktail shaker and smash them up with your muddler.
- Add in the lime juice, blackberry puree, Cointreau and tequila.
- Fill the shaker with ice, seal it up and give it about 20 hard shakes.
- Add fresh ice to your serving glass and strain the drink into the glass.
- Add the optional blackberries to a cocktail pick and add it to the glass. Then, garnish with the optional lime slice. Serve and enjoy!
Kimberly says
I love making these Blackberry Margs in the summertime! Let me know if you have any questions about this recipe 🙂