Blackberry Syrup
Bar Prep • syrup
Description
A bright, fruity simple syrup made from fresh blackberries, sugar, and water with a touch of lemon for balance. Use to sweeten cocktails, mocktails, sodas, and desserts.
History
Fruit syrups have long been used to preserve seasonal flavors for year-round cocktails. Blackberry syrup is a modern bar staple, popular for adding vivid berry flavor and color to cocktails like brambles and Collins variations.
Instructions
Step 1.
1) Ingredients: 8 oz (about 225 g) fresh or thawed blackberries, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, 1 cup (240 ml) water, 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (optional, for brightness and preservation).
Step 2.
2) Rinse the blackberries and remove any stems or leaves. If using frozen berries, thaw first.
Step 3.
3) In a small saucepan combine the water and sugar. Heat over medium, stirring until sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a gentle simmer.
Step 4.
4) Add the blackberries to the syrup. Lower heat and simmer gently for 6–8 minutes, stirring and lightly crushing the berries with a wooden spoon or muddler to release juice and color.
Step 5.
5) Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Let the mixture steep off the heat for 10–20 minutes to deepen flavor.
Step 6.
6) Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a heatproof container, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids.
Step 7.
7) Cool the strained syrup to room temperature, then transfer to a clean glass bottle or jar and refrigerate.
Step 8.
8) Taste and adjust if desired: add a splash more lemon for brightness or a touch of water if syrup is too thick.
Step 9.
9) Label with date. Use sanitized utensils when dispensing to maximize shelf life.
Storage
Refrigerate in an airtight glass bottle or jar. Keeps about 10–14 days refrigerated. For longer storage, freeze in ice-cube trays (up to 3 months). If any cloudiness, off smell, or mold appears, discard.