Easy and Refreshing Blackberry Vanilla Vodka Martini

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This simple and delicious vodka cocktail gets is fruity flavor from fresh ingredients and is balanced out with vanilla vodka. It's the perfect way to enjoy a summer happy hour or any number of special occasions.

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Ingredients
How to Make a Blackberry Vanilla Martini
Recipe Tips
Try These Recipes for Fruity Drinks
FAQs and Substitutions
More Delicious Cocktail Recipes You'll Love
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Blackberry Vanilla Martini

I love a good one liquor cocktail, but that doesn't mean I only want liquor and club soda. And making a tasty drink doesn't mean making a strong drink. There's lots of simple ingredients that can make for a flavorful cocktail. Fresh fresh fruit and herbs are always a great choice when shaking up refreshing drink.

Summer time blackberries make the prefect drink addition, full of natural sweetness and color. This blackberry cocktail gets its deep purple color naturally from muddled blackberries. It's the perfect drink for a hot summer day.

Vanilla vodka is one of those spirits that can linger on your bar cart for too long if you don't have a plan for it. This bright and fresh tasting blackberry martini is a delicious use for vanilla vodka without being too sweet or artificial tasting. The delicious flavors of juicy blackberries, fresh lime, and fresh mint keep this fruity drink on the tart side while the sweet flavors in vanilla vodka add a little simple syrup balance everything out.

Ingredients

Vanilla vodka
Simple syrup
Fresh lime juice
Fresh blackberries
Fresh mint leaves

How to Make a Blackberry Vanilla Martini

Place mint, blackberries, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker. Muddle gently to crush the blackberries.

Lime juice being poured into a cocktail shaker.

Add simple syrup, and vodka. Fill the shaker half full with ice cubes.

Shake well.

Double strain through a fine mesh sieve held over a coupe or martini glass to remove the mint pieces and muddled blackberries.

Garnish with fresh blackberries and/or a lime wheel.

Enjoy!

Blackberry vanilla martini with fresh berries.

Recipe Tips

Make your simple syrup ahead of time. Combine ½ cup hot water with ½ cup sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then store it in a glass jar and cool it completely before making your cocktails. You don't want to use room temperature syrup in your drinks. It'll cause the ice to breakdown too quickly and water down your cocktail.
Don't have vanilla vodka on hand? Add ⅛ teaspoon of vanilla extract to regular vodka in your cocktail shaker to keep that delicate sweetness and vanilla twist in the drink.

Try These Recipes for Fruity Drinks

Blackberry Margaritas — Blackberry Margarita

Pouring a Strawberry Pineapple Vanilla Vodka Martini — Strawberry Pineapple Martini

FAQs and Substitutions

Is it important to double strain this drink?

Double straining - straining the drink out of the cocktail shaker and through a fine mesh sieve - keeps the blackberry seeds and mint pieces out of your cocktail along with any little bits of ice that may have broken off while shaking. If you don’t mind some bits and pieces in your drink, feel free to skip this step.

What can I use instead of a cocktail shaker?

Don't have a cocktail shaker on hand? Use a mason jar with a tight fitting lid.

Some of the drink won't come out of the shaker!

It will take a couple minutes to get all of the liquid to drain out of your cocktail shaker. This is due to the mint leaves, ice, and pieces of blackberry contained in your shaker. Tip your shaker upright, then pour at an angle a few times to make sure you get all of the cocktail in your glass.

Can I use frozen blackberries?

Absolutely! Frozen blackberries work well in this recipe, just be sure to thaw them first so they're easy to muddle.

What kind of vodka should I use?

I chose Smirnoff Vanilla vodka for this recipe, but Absolut Vanilla or Stoli Vanil would also be an excellent choice.

What kind of glass should I use?

This cocktail is designed to be served "up" - without ice in the glass - so skip the rocks glass for a martini glass or classic coupe glass. Don't have either kind of serving glass? Try a small wine glass.