The Botanist gin cocktail uses blackberry jam to create a beautifully vibrant and delicious drink.
This has been an exceptional season for blackberries — I’ve never seen so many. I’ve been picking them by the bagful and most end up turned into jam. That jam has found its way into cakes and, naturally, cocktails.
Blackberries offer a lovely balance of sweetness and tartness that pairs exceptionally well with gin. While the classic Bramble cocktail uses crème de mûre, most home bars don’t carry that liqueur. Seedless blackberry jam makes an excellent, easy substitute and delivers vivid flavour and colour.
For homemade jam I use equal weights of fruit and jam sugar (which contains pectin), with the juice and zest of half a lemon. Rinse the blackberries, place them in a large pan with the lemon juice and zest, and gently heat. Lightly mash the fruit with a potato masher, stir in the sugar, then bring to a rolling boil. Follow the instructions on your sugar packet for cooking time, or use pectin powder with regular granulated sugar if you prefer.
If making jam feels like too much effort, a good-quality store-bought seedless blackberry jam works perfectly. I enjoy making small batches and keeping them in the fridge for immediate use rather than full preservation.
I used The Botanist gin for this cocktail — a natural match, as it includes 22 hand-foraged botanicals from the Island of Islay alongside nine classic gin botanicals. It’s a beautifully balanced spirit and is worth seeking out if you enjoy nuanced, aromatic gins.
The Botanist gin cocktail – a forager’s delight
The Botanist gin cocktail uses blackberry jam to create a beautifully vibrant and delicious drink. Please note this recipe serves 2.
Ingredients
- 100 ml gin (about 3 1/2 fl oz)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1–2 tsp seedless blackberry jam (adjust to taste)
- Fresh blackberries to garnish
Instructions
- Place two martini glasses in the freezer to chill, or fill them with ice for 5 minutes.
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the gin, lemon juice, blackberry jam and plenty of ice.
- Shake vigorously for about 30 seconds. Taste through a straw and add a touch more lemon if the jam is very sweet.
- Double-strain the cocktail into the chilled glasses and garnish with fresh blackberries on a cocktail stick.
