Welcome to the best drink you will ever put to your lips. I am not much of a heavy drinker, but I DO like delicious things, and a cheeky cocktail or three from time to time. The good news is this recipe calls for bourbon, so if you happen to date, live with, or are inviting a mad man-esq drinker to partake in this beverage with you, they should be pretty happy, or at least give them the bottle eh?
Original recipe from good ole Martha. That woman really does summer right, she tends to lose me around gourd season and into winter, but SUMMER for her empire is exceptional. ‘Rooms landed on this recipe one lazy summer Sunday for our Bachelorette finale get together with friends. If you like easy drinks that have minimal ingredients + are super easy, AND that you can make in large quantities in it’s own vessel, then this drink is for you! Right out of the box this blackberry julep is delicious, but we added twice the booze tweaked a ‘lil bit to our liking and garnished with an orange because WE ARE PARTY ANIMALS.
Here are the ingredients in laymen’s terms. (sorry Martha, but I am not measuring my mint)
- 1 bunch o’ mint (stems off ladies and gents)
- 1 package of blackberries (the plastic one from Key Food, or your locally grown CSA if you’re fancy)
- 6 spoons of sugar (solid handful? or to taste)
- bourbon (Martha says 1/2 cup serves 4, we easily doubled that) so 1-2 cup(s)?
- juice from the orange adds a nice tang if that’s your thing
- ice (add until smoothie-ish)
- Give that mint a rough chop and put everything but the ice in the blender and turn it on.
- Add ice until smoothie like, or you can’t take it any longer.
- Pour in glasses, add a paper straw and an orange slice for fanciness.
Very important side note: Martha’s step two is to run this juice mixture through a “fine sieve,” which is nice if you know what that is. I didn’t, and we don’t have one, but I’ve had about seventeen of these cocktails seeds and all and lived to tell about it. Plus I think that’s where the fiber is?
The good news about this recipe is that blackberries are in season which means they’re cheap and delicious and you’re doing that really hip thing of eating seasonally and local. Also if your blackberries are a little over-ripe or smushed Jim Beam sure doesn’t care. Blackberry season lasts until the end of August so get to drinking!
Bonus: Blackberries are good for preventing gout and cancer. I know because Lance told me.