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Blackberry Lemon Smash Cocktail

Blackberry Lemon Smash Cocktail

Hello! I’m back with another cocktail recipe that’s showcases juicy sweet and tart blackberries and the bright citrus flavour of fresh lemon juice.

It’s a lovely and pretty cocktail that’s perfect to sip on while enjoying a warm day or night.

I hope you like this recipe for Blackberry Lemon Smash Cocktail!

A stainless steel cocktail shaker and rose gold muddler on a wooden platter with blackberries and lemons

What’s in this cocktail?

There are only five ingredients in this fruity cocktail!

  • Blackberries: Ripe blackberries have a sweet flavour with slight tart notes. They have been said to taste like a mix of black grapes and raspberries.
  • Lemon Juice: The juice adds bright, zesty, and sour flavours. It wonderfully complements the sweet blackberries.
  • Simple syrup: It’s made with equal parts white sugar and water. You can purchase simple syrup or see the “Useful Tips” section of this post to see how to make it.
  • White Rum: The alcohol component of this cocktail. The subtle sweet notes of white rum let the fruit be the forefront of this cocktail.
  • Ice cubes: Keeps the drink nice and cold.
Smashed blackberries, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a stainless steel cocktail shaker.

Here are Some Useful Tips

  • When looking for blackberries, choose ripe ones that are plump (soft, not mushy, and rich blue-black all over). They will taste sweet.
    • Underripe blackberries tend to be a lot more tart and can be bitter.
  • To get more juice out of a lemon, roll a room temperature lemon on a flat surface to break down the citrus membranes before cutting in half. Use a citrus juicer to get the most juice out.
  • How to make simple syrup? In a saucepan, combine one-part white sugar with one-part water. Bring to a boil and stir to completely dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and let it cool. The resulting mixture should clear (not cloudy).
    • To keep for up to one month, pour the simple syrup into a sterilized container and store in the refrigerator.
  • Why not add sugar instead of simple syrup? Sugar may not fully dissolve into the drink, which results in sugar crystals settling onto the bottom of glass making the cocktail uneven in flavour and texture.
  • Switch it up with a different liquor such as bourbon, vodka, or gin if you like.
    • Just note that changes in alcohol will change the overall flavour profile of the drink, especially if the liquor is strong.
An overhead view of a glass of blackberry lemon smash cocktail with lemon slices and a straw in it.

Check out these four easy fruity cocktails!

Blackberry Lemon Smash drink in a glass surrounded by fresh blackberries and lemons.

Overall, this blackberry lemon smash cocktail is:

  • Delicious and refreshing: A lovely sweet fruity drink to enjoy on warm day.
  • Full of blackberry and lemon flavour: The sweet, bright, and tart notes in this cool beverage are so good!
  • Quick and easy to prepare: This recipe uses a few ingredients and comes together in minutes.
  • Adaptable: Add more or less alcohol according to your personal tastes. Switch out the rum with gin or bourbon too.
  • Scalable: This recipe makes one (generous) serving, but can easily be doubled (or more) to make many drinks to serve a small group.
Blackberry lemon smash made with gin in a double old-fashioned glass with a lemon slice.

I hope you try this cocktail! If you do, please leave me a rating and comment down below or tag me on any of my social media. I’m @yay_for_food on Instagram. Please share your recipe pictures!

Blackberry lemon smash made with gin in a double old-fashioned glass with a lemon slice.

Blackberry Lemon Smash Cocktail

Yield: 1 (a full 12 fl. oz glass)
Prep Time: 7 minutes
Total Time: 7 minutes

Looking for a sweet and tart fruity cocktail with the refreshing taste of citrus? Try this blackberry lemon smash recipe. Enjoy responsibly.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup (10-12) fresh blackberries
  • ¼ cup simple syrup *(see first note)
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (½ lemon)
  • 1½ oz. white rum
  • 4-5 ice cubes

Instructions

    1. Place the blackberries, simple syrup, and lemon juice into a cocktail shaker. Using a muddler (or the back of a wooden spoon), thoroughly mash the ingredients, allowing the blackberry juices to release.
    2. Add the rum and three ice cubes to the cocktail shaker. Tightly seal the lid onto the cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for 45-60 seconds.
    3. Strain the blackberry cocktail into a double old-fashioned glass. Top with additional ice. Garnish with a lemon slice and straw if you like. Serve immediately.

Notes

*To make simple syrup: In a medium saucepan, add one-part sugar with one-part water. Then bring the water to a boil, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. The mixture should be completely clear (not cloudy). Let the simple syrup cool before using in cocktails.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 250Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 3mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 0gSugar: 38gProtein: 0g

Nutritional values are estimated based on the ingredients used by the author; your ingredients may differ. These values are calculated using Nutritionix.

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Lori

Saturday 29th of April 2023

1/4 cup simple syrup would be very sweet for my palate, so I only used 1/2 ounce. Delicious and refreshing!

Marie | Yay! for Food

Tuesday 2nd of May 2023

Glad you liked it, Lori!

Becky A.

Saturday 29th of May 2021

So good!! I love anything lemon and this cocktail with the fresh blackberries is the best. LOVE!

Marie | Yay! for Food

Friday 4th of June 2021

So glad you like this cocktail!

Ben Walsh

Monday 24th of May 2021

Hey this looks amazing! Could you provide quantities/ steps to do this in a pitcher? Thanks!

Katy

Thursday 29th of April 2021

This cocktail is AMAZING!! After shaking in the shaker, I didn’t strain it...I love the little bits of blackberry in each sip. I also substituted Absolute Juice Strawberry Vodka and it was delicious!!!

Mark

Sunday 3rd of January 2021

I very much enjoyed this cocktail, switching up the rum with bourbon and adding a splash of club soda to cut the sweetness a bit.

Marie | Yay! for Food

Tuesday 5th of January 2021

Thanks Mark! Sounds very tasty!

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