Blackberry Basil Sour
Savor summer sipping with a refreshing Blackberry Basil Sour — a smooth cocktail with fresh blackberries, aromatic basil, gin, zingy lemon juice, bitters, and a frothy egg white for a perfect balance of flavours. Cheers to warm, sunny days!
The combination of blackberries and basil may seem like an unusual one, but to me it is the essence of summer. I have spent many summer afternoons harvesting fresh blackberries, eating more than my fair share, still warm from the sun and bursting with tart juice.
For many years, I had blackberry brambles growing near my vegetable garden, which was usually planted with tomatoes, basil, and other fragrant herbs. One year, my dogs discovered that blackberries were very tasty! They would carefully chew the berries from the bottom few feet of the bushes. They only ate the ripe ones!
What is a sour cocktail?
A sour is a mixed drink made out of a liquor, an acidic element like lemon juice, a sweetener, and sometimes an egg white to blend it all together and add a creamy mouthfeel and a foamy top.
This Blackberry Basil Sour combines all those parts together. The main liquor here is gin. For the acidic element, the blackberries add some tartness along with fresh lemon juice. The sweetness comes from the blackberries as well as sugar. The cocktail is made even more complex with the addition of herbal notes from the basil and bitters. All these flavours are brought together into a smooth blend with the egg white foam.
What are the ingredients for a Blackberry Basil Sour?
Gin – I used Empress 1908 Indigo gin. The stunning deep purple-blue colour of this gin is unmistakable! It has a beautiful balance of citrus and herbal flavours, making it the perfect canvas for this cocktail to shine.
Blackberries – Tart and sweet, blackberries are the star of this cocktail! You can use fresh or frozen berries. Note that fresh berries may give you more juice.
Basil – The classical Italian herb is an aromatic addition to this cocktail.
Lemon juice – Reinforces the tartness of the berries.
Bitters – I used Angostura bitters, which has a lovely mix of bitter citrus, spice, and herbal notes.
Egg white – Egg white is the “foamer” here, but also brings all the flavours together and adds a smooth, creamy mouthfeel.
Is there a vegan substitute for egg white in a sour cocktail?
Aqufaba — the liquid inside a can of chickpeas — makes a fantastic vegan substitute for egg whites in a shaken cocktail.
The Blackberry Basil Sour Method
Muddle the blackberries & basil – Muddle, or crush, the berries and basil together with a teaspoon of sugar before mixing the cocktail. The sugar helps extract more juice from the berries and essential oils from the basil.
Add the rest of the ingredients.
Add ice. (See note 2)
Shake the cocktail – Shake until foamy and well chilled.
Alternatively, you can also “dry shake” the cocktail by shaking without ice first. Shaking it this way makes a stronger foam and an even more creamy feel. Then, once foamed, you shake a second time with ice to get the chill on the cocktail.
Strain — Strain the mixture into your serving glass. Here, I’ve used a large coupe glass. You could use a martini glass as an alternative, or any cocktail glass with a wide, flared top.
Garnish – I think it’s essential to garnish this sour with a sprig of fresh basil leaves! Another garnish suggestion is to skewer some fresh blackberries along with basil leaves. A simple lemon twist also works.
Blackberry Basil Sour
Equipment
- 1 cocktail shaker
- 1 muddler
- 1 Strainer
Ingredients
- ¼ cup fresh blackberries or frozen, thawed
- 5-6 basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3 oz Empress 1908 Indigo gin
- 1 oz lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 2-4 dashes bitters
- ½ oz egg white (See note 1)
- Garnish: fresh blackberries & basil leaves
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add blackberries, basil leaves, and sugar.
- Using a muddler or the handle of a wooden spoon, crush the blackberries and basil until a paste forms.
- Add gin, lemon juice, bitters, and egg white. Add ice, and shake until completely chilled and foamy. (See note 2)
- Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a skewer of blackberries and basil leaves.
- Enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Egg whites: If you’re unsure about drinking raw egg whites, you can purchase pasteurized liquid egg whites in a carton, usually found in the egg section of your grocery store.
- Dry shaking: You can shake the mixture first without the ice, to get a stronger foam, and then shake a second time with ice added, to chill the cocktail. Either way makes a delicious drink!