Blackberry Brandy Sour
Summer is a great time for sweet or sour drinks, so try a taste of both with this Friday’s Cocktail, the Blackberry Brandy Sour.
Popular drinks, the sour family of cocktails, which includes the Sidecar, Whiskey and Gin Sours, among others, are one of the earliest types of mixed drinks, dating back to the 1860s. Brandy Sours have been on the scene since at least the 1880s. In Cyprus, the Cypriot Brandy Sour dates back to the 1930s, when a local family first introduced a blended brandy, and is known as the island nation’s national drink!
If a flavored brandy is used, it’s often Apricot Brandy. However, Blackberry Brandy is even better! This version has been one of my mother’s favorites since at least the 1970s.
What you’ll need: Blackberry Brandy, Lemon Juice, Sugar Syrup and fruit to garnish
Pour 2 ounces of your brandy in a shaker over cracked ice. Add in 1 ounce of lemon juice, and 1/2 ounce of sugar syrup. Shake and then strain into your glass of choice. This drink may be served in a rocks glass over ice, in a martini glass, or even the appropriately named sour glass. Garnish with a slice of lemon or orange and a maraschino cherry.
To make simple syrup, combine 1 cup of sugar with 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a boil in a saucepan. You’ll only be using 1/2 ounce of it for this drink, but you can save the rest for other cockatils…at least for a time.
How I like it: Really, any brandy can be used to make this drink, but I do find I like the Blackberry version. Apricot Brandy is also rather nice. A straight brandy, or any non-fruit flavored one, might benefit from a dash or two of bitters as some recipes call for. And of course, any drink with a maraschino cherry as a garnish is a plus.
Remember, always drink responsibly!
The Poisoned Martini 