Summertime cooking down south means some good brisket in a smoker, slaw in the kitchen, and a cobbler in the oven. Nothing finishes out a good barbeque better than a blackberry cobbler, so in honor of this desert, I created my own blackberry liqueur for a sweet refreshment.

A standard liqueur is any distilled spirit that has been flavored with a fruit, spices, nuts, or any assortment of other ingredients and has been sweetened. Knowing this, creating your own DIY liqueur is simply a matter of playing with various ingredients and experimenting to find the formula that matches what you are looking for. Fruit liqueurs are easier to make than many other liqueurs, because they do not take as long for the flavours to soak into your vodka. Usually, it will only take about 3-5 days for the process to complete. You can add fresh blackberries, spices, or other liqueurs to experiment on your own, but I recommend starting with frozen berries, because I have had a lot of success in the infusion of flavors with them.

After trying six different recipes, changing the ingredients between sugar, honey, Benedictine, and vanilla, this recipe is probably my favorite. It only uses sugar, frozen blackberries, water, and vodka. It is simple, easy, and holds onto a sweet blackberry flavor. The liqueur you make can be served neat, over ice, within a cocktail or, just like a blackberry cobbler, with some vanilla ice cream. I look forward to trying out some new variations, and encourage y’all to do the same.

DIY Blackberry Liqueur

Yield: 1 bottle liquer

Glasswear: Julep cup or tumbler

Tools: cheesecloth

Ingredients

• 1 c — water
• 3 c — Vodka
• 3 c — White sugar
• 3 c — Frozen blackberries

Directions

1. Thaw blackberries, then add all ingredients into a container with a lid.
2. Leave for 3-5 days in a dark cabinet.
3. Strain the blackberries from the jar with a cheesecloth, and squeeze any remaining juice from the blackberries.
4. Store your liqueur in any container with a lid.