This recipe uses a fun kitchen hack – blackberry ice cubes!

It’s a refreshing twist on a simple cocktail that you’re sure to love.

I love fun summer cocktails like this Berry Rhubarb Kombucha Sangria and this Strawberry Lemonade Rosé Punch but these blackberry vodka drinks boast lots of flavors!

While many blackberry cocktails start with the addition of simple syrup and muddled blackberries, we’re using a fun twist instead making blackberry lime ice cubes for the base of this delicious summer cocktail.

In the Spring and Summer fresh berries are bursting with sweetness. So by blending blackberries, lime juice, sugar and water you get a bright, fresh ice cube packed with blackberry flavour.

Why you’ll love these blackberry vodka drinks

• You can make a batch of these blackberry ice cubes and have them on hand for fun fruity cocktails on any hot day.
• As the blackberry ice cubes melt into the refreshing drink, you’ll get more and more blackberry flavor!
• These blackberry ice cubes are so versatile! Add Prosecco or sparkling rosé to make a cocktail OR make a mocktail by adding ginger soda, club soda or sparkling water.

Ingredients needed to make this refreshing cocktail

Fresh blackberries: the star ingredient in this cocktail.

Lime juice: fresh lime juice works best in this recipe.

Sweetener: honey, sugar or even maple syrup works as the sweetener for this ice cube mixture.

Water: needed to bring the blackberry ice cube mixture together.

Vodka & Sparkling: to make this a cocktail add a good quality vodka and your sparkling beverage of choice (Prosecco or sparkling rosé).

Fresh mint: use a sprig of mint to garnish the cocktail and add another pop of colour.

Club soda or sparkling water: to even out the flavours of this cocktail.

Step by step process for making these drinks

Step 1: Blend all of the simple ingredients for the ice cubes together until smooth.  Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a small bowl if you desire less blackberry seeds in the ice cubes.

Step 2: Then, pour the mixture into an ice cube tray and freeze. Makes 12-14 ice cubes.

Step 3: To make a cocktail, add 2-3 ice cubes to a rocks glass or your favourite cocktail glass. Then, add vodka and pour over your desired sparkling beverage. Give it a quick stir, top off with sparkling water or club soda and garnish with fresh mint sprigs, lime wedges or slices and florals if desired and enjoy!

The best part about these blackberry vodka drinks is you can adapt them to your tastes.  By having the blackberry ice cubes in the freezer, you can make this cocktail in a variety of ways!

Print

The Best Sparkling Blackberry Vodka Drinks Recipe

These Sparkling Blackberry Vodka Drinks are a fun & fizzy cocktail for the summer! You'll get the best flavour from the blackberry ice cubes.

Course Drinks

Cuisine american-inspired

Keyword vodka cocktail

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Ice Cube Freezing Time 12 hours hours

Total Time 12 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings 1 cocktail

Author Jess

Ingredients

For the blackberry lime ice cubes

• 1 1/2 cups blackberries (about 6oz/170g container)
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 3 tbsp honey or sugar
• 1 cup water

For a blackberry vodka drink

• 1 oz vodka
• 2 oz sparkling beverage of choice (prosecco or sparkling rosé)
• club soda or sparkling water

Instructions

• Blend all of the simple ingredients for the ice cubes together until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a small bowl if you desire less blackberry seeds in the ice cubes.
• Then, pour the mixture into an ice cube tray and freeze. Makes 12-14 ice cubes.
• To make a cocktail, add 2-3 ice cubes to a rocks glass or your favourite cocktail glass. Then, add vodka and pour over your desired sparkling beverage. Give it a quick stir, top off with sparkling water or club soda and garnish with fresh mint sprigs, lime wedges or slices and florals if desired and enjoy!

Notes

• Prosecco, Cava or a Sparkling Rosé will all work in this recipe. However, each will bring a slightly different taste to the cocktail. If you like a sweeter cocktail, try to find a sparkling rosé that has a fruitier profile. If you like a more refreshing cocktail with less sweetness, try prosecco, cava or a more dry sparkling rosé.
• Make these ice cubes a few days ahead of a gathering. Then all you need to do is have vodka, a sparkling beverage and garnishes on hand to make easy cocktails for your guests.
• Want to make this a mocktail? Add a few of the blackberry ice cubes to a glass and top with club soda, tonic, ginger soda or soda water. You could even try a berry or lime flavoured sparkling water!

Expert tips to make these blackberry vodka drinks

• Make these ice cubes a few days ahead of a gathering. Then all you need to do is have vodka, a sparkling beverage and garnishes on hand to make easy cocktails for your guests.
• Want to make this a mocktail? Add a few of the blackberry ice cubes to a glass and top with club soda, tonic, ginger soda or soda water. You could even try a berry or lime flavoured sparkling water!

FAQ

Can I use another berry instead?
I haven’t tested this recipe with other berries but it’s possible raspberries could work as well!

What kind of sparkling beverage should I buy?
Prosecco, Cava or a Sparkling Rosé will all work in this recipe. However, each will bring a slightly different taste to the cocktail. If you like a sweeter cocktail, try to find a sparkling rosé that has a fruitier profile. If you like a more refreshing cocktail with less sweetness, try prosecco, cava or a more dry sparkling rosé.

You’re able to serve a group of people on a hot summer day once you have a batch of blackberry ice cubes on hand. The fresh ingredients in these blackberry vodka drinks really make this cocktail a stand-out I’m happy to serve friends!

More fresh fruit cocktail recipes to love from the blog:

Cucumber Cider Smash

Strawberry Rosé Spritzer

Minty Cucumber Lime Sangria

Cherry Bourbon Lemonade Smash

Until the next cooking adventure,

Jess

The post The Best Sparkling Blackberry Vodka Drinks Recipe appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

At the farmer’s market I’m starting to see a lot more fruit come in from British Columbia and much more seasonal vegetables too.

A lot of my inspiration for dishes come from What’s In Season so let’s chat what’s fresh for June plus my favourite recipes, cookbooks and a peak at my backyard garden too!

I absolutely adored this cookbook I took out from the library, Bake the Seasons, mostly classic baking recipes based on each season and some savoury recipes too. I didn’t have nearly enough time with this book so I’ve added it to my list to take out again.

We also made this tasty Spicy Noodle Salad from Food by Maria, a local blogger from Calgary! She also has a beautiful vegan cookbook, and even if you’re not vegan you can totalllly enjoy her recipes – many of them are just simple and delicious!

With some beautiful almost summer-like weather in May, we started planting our vegetable gardens! So far we’ve planted golden and candy cane beets, carrots, breakfast radishes, onions, garlic and arugula. Out of all of the vegetables, the breakfast radishes grow super fast so we can plant them almost 3 times throughout the summer.

If you like radishes I’d highly recommend trying them out! Radishes are such a great ingredient in salads and I also love them on toasts with feta or goat cheese. They’re such a great vegetable to plant when you’re starting out; whether you have a container garden or backyard garden, both are great!

This weekend I’m planting herbs, kale and jalapenos (they grew SO well last year, who knew!?)

So with all that said, let’s check out What’s In Season for June!

Cherries – Cherry Bourbon Lemonade Smash

Cucumbers – Summer Vegetables & Grains Salad

Fresh Herbs & Greens – Swiss Chard, Goat Cheese & Leek Frittata

Peppers – Roasted Summer Vegetable Salad

Strawberries – Strawberry Lemonade Rosé Punch

Rhubarb – Strawberry-Rhubarb Hand Pies

I’ve been testing many recipes this last month including a delicious tomato, arugula and pesto salad with fried halloumi cheese (OMG try this cheese if you haven’t yet!)

And, you’ll also see TWO rhubarb recipes coming to you in June; apparently I’m on some sort of a rhubarb kick but hey, it’s the season so why not! So I hope you like rhubarb too 🙂

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post What’s In Season – Monthly Favourites appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

This is inspired by my friend Corinne who makes a mean cocktail; we concocted this one Friday night at my house and it’s been a hit every since.

You can easily make this for a crowd and is the perfect start to a holiday soiree (or any party for that matter!)

Prep time: 5 minutes
Equipment:  measuring cup, shot glass
Servings: 2

Ingredients:
2 ounces of your favourite Gin (a shot glass is about 1 ounce)
1 cup of grapefruit soda (or juice)
1/2 cup sparkling water (plain or lime flavoured)
lime (cut in wedges)
ice for serving

Instructions:
Measure out the Gin, grapefruit soda and sparkling water into a pitcher and then stir.

Put ice into each of your glasses and pour the drink evenly into each glass.  Squeeze a wedge of lime into each glass and them drop the lime wedge in. Enjoy!

It’s truly that easy and every so beautiful.

If you want to make a non-alcoholic version simply don’t add the gin and add a bit extra sparkling water.

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post Grapefruit Gin Splash appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.