Cocktails from the Park: Blackberry Lime Rickey

I almost forgot about wild blackberries this summer.

Exactly how this is even possible I’m not certain. The ever-present himalayan blackberry is incredibly invasive and considered a noxious weed. I check for it on our hillside with a somewhat compulsive zeal.  Yet, I look forward to their ripening every year- an annual pleasure that I completely take for granted. There will be free blackberries in abundance. Likely within a few blocks of most homes in Seattle. Love them or hate them (or maybe a bit of both)- they are everywhere.  It is kind of hard to forget about blackberries living in Seattle.

We enjoy them still sun-warmed while picking. I freeze them to add to yogurt and bake with until the next summer.. And I made our go-to blackberry cocktail: a Blackberry-Lime Rickey.

A Rickey is a type of drink that is booze, lime, and fizzy water.  I thought they were always with gin, but a little research and I found they were originally made with bourbon.  Who knew? Not me says the non-bourbon-drinker.

Every so slightly slurped from  Sunset magazine, August 2009.

Blackberry-Lime Rickey

• 2 cups (plus more for garnish) fresh blackberries
• ~¾ cup superfine or granulated sugar
• ~½ cup fresh lime juice
• 1-¼ cup gin
• Ice
• Fizzy water
• lime slices, for garnish

1. In a blender, combine 2 cups fresh-picked blackberries, sugar, and lime juice. Blend until smooth. I used a Vitamix, which isn’t necessary (of course), but gets it incredibly smooth in seconds. I love that thing.
2. Put mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Really scrape and press all the lovely juice and pulpiness through, leaving behind just the seeds.
3.  Pour into cool bottle or pitcher and stir in gin.
4. Fill desired glass(es) with ice cubes. We tend to use pint jars because they are sturdy, summer-y, and make me happy. But any glass will do- a high ball or an old-fashioned work just as well.  Fill glass halfway with blackberry-gin mixture and top with fizzy water. Garnish each glass with a couple of blackberries and slices of lime.

Makes 4-6 drinks depending on how big you make them.