WITH LUCAS DUVAL | PHOTOGRAPH BY MARK LOADER
Blackberry Basil Bramble
“This refreshing cocktail takes only a minute to make,” says Barbara Kirshner, co-founder of Berkshire Wine Jelly. “The gin cradles the winey herbaceous flavors in the jelly, and the citrus makes it bright and summery. The bubbles don’t really make things sparkle—they just help break up the jelly and make the drink less booze-forward,” she adds.Kirshner makes her products in Lenox and distributes them widely in the Berkshires. The drink is a collaboration with mixologist Lucas Duval who works with many local Berkshire businesses.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) Shiraz Blackberry Basil Berkshire Wine Jelly
- 1 ounce gin of choice
- 2 ounces sparkling water, seltzer, or club soda
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
For garnish:
- slice of lemon and sprig of basil
Instructions
- Using a spoon or butter knife, vigorously stir the jelly in its jar. Measure out 2 tablespoons (1 ounce/shot) and add to a cup you can stir in. Add gin, sparkling water, and lemon juice. Stir until combined, then strain through a sieve into a 6-ounce glass filled with ice. Garnish with a slice of lemon and a sprig of basil.
- If you’re using a shot glass instead of a tablespoon to measure the jelly with, it’s helpful to measure the jelly, scrape out what you can with the utensil, and then measure everything else into the same shot glass. That way the other liquids going into the drink will wash out as much residual jelly as possible.
