Blackberry Mint Julep
The mint julep is one of the most iconic American cocktails and one of the most satisfying ones to make. Bourbon, fresh mint, simple syrup, and crushed ice in a frosty cup, it’s a drink that has been doing exactly what it does for a very long time and doing it perfectly. This version adds fresh blackberries muddled at the bottom of the glass before everything else goes in, which transforms the classic into something slightly deeper, slightly fruitier, and genuinely stunning in color. The deep purple of the muddled blackberry juice bleeds through the crushed ice and the whole glass turns the kind of color that makes people stop and ask what you’re drinking before you’ve taken your first sip.
The technique here is simple and the details matter. Muddle the blackberries completely. Press the mint gently, not aggressively, because over-muddled mint releases a bitterness that competes with the fruit and the bourbon in a way that over-pressed mint always does in a julep. Shake well with ice until the shaker is frosty on the outside. Pour over crushed ice in whatever glass you love. Garnish with a sprig of mint and a few extra blackberries tucked alongside and drink it immediately while the ice is still at its best.
Ingredients Needed to Make a Blackberry Mint Julep
Five ingredients. Here’s what you need:
- Fresh blackberries (the star addition that gives this julep its color, flavor, and depth; ripe, slightly soft blackberries muddle most easily and produce the most juice)
- Bourbon (use a bourbon you enjoy drinking; its flavor is front and center in a julep; Woodford Reserve and Buffalo Trace are classic Kentucky choices)
- Simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water simmered until the sugar dissolves; balances the tartness of the blackberries and the proof of the bourbon)
- Fresh mint leaves (lightly pressed, not pulverized; the aromatic oil in the leaves adds the signature herbaceous freshness that defines a julep)
- Crushed ice (not cubed; crushed ice is what makes a julep a julep from both a temperature and a texture standpoint)
How to Make a Blackberry Mint Julep
1
Muddle the Blackberries
Add the blackberries to the bottom of a cocktail shaker or a sturdy glass. Using a muddler or the back of a wooden spoon, press down firmly and twist to break the blackberries completely apart until they’re fully juicy with no whole berries remaining. You want maximum juice extracted from the fruit. The deep purple blackberry juice is the color and flavor foundation of the entire cocktail.
2
Add the Bourbon and Simple Syrup
Pour the bourbon and simple syrup directly over the muddled blackberries and their juice. The bourbon will immediately pick up the blackberry color and start looking like exactly what it is, a very good cocktail in progress.
3
Press the Mint
Add the fresh mint leaves on top. Using the muddler or your fingers, gently press the mint leaves once or twice, just enough to express the aromatic oils from the surface of the leaves. This is the step most people get wrong in a mint julep. Pressing is right. Muddling, grinding, or crushing is wrong. Over-worked mint releases chlorophyll and a bitter green flavor that fights with everything else in the glass. One or two gentle presses is precisely enough.
4
Shake
Add ice to the shaker and shake vigorously for 10 to 15 seconds until the shaker is completely frosty on the outside and the drink is thoroughly chilled.
5
Serve Over Crushed Ice
Pack a julep cup, rocks glass, or any glass you love tightly with crushed ice. Strain the cocktail over the crushed ice or pour everything over unstrained if you want the mint and blackberry pieces in the glass. The crushed ice will immediately begin chilling the glass from the outside if you’re using a metal julep cup, creating the signature frosty exterior.
Tuck a generous sprig of fresh mint into the top of the crushed ice so it stands upright above the rim of the glass. Add two or three extra blackberries alongside the mint. Serve immediately with a short straw that sits just below the mint garnish so every sip passes through the fragrance of the fresh mint as you drink.
Blackberry Mint Julep
Ingredients
- 4 ā5 fresh blackberries
- 2 oz bourbon standard pour
- Ā½ oz simple syrup about 1 tablespoon
- 6 ā8 fresh mint leaves
- Crushed ice
- Extra mint + blackberries for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker or sturdy glass, muddle the blackberries until completely juicy and broken down.
- Add the bourbon and simple syrup.
- Add the fresh mint leaves and press them gently once or twice. Do not over-muddle the mint or it will turn bitter.
- Add ice and shake well until thoroughly chilled.
- Fill a glass with crushed ice. Strain or pour the cocktail over the ice.
- Garnish with a fresh sprig of mint and a few blackberries. Serve immediately.
