Blackberry Sidecar

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
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Updated on 02/5/23
Blackberry Sidecar Cocktail Recipe from Brockman's Gin
Brockmans Gin
Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

Brockmans Gin follows a style of gin that backs off on the spirit's signature juniper and focuses on a fruit flavor instead. In this case, it's blueberries and blackberries and the blackberry sidecar recipe plays up that flavor profile to create a delightful take on the popular sidecar.

The cocktail is quite simple and follows the basic sour drink formula. Gin is a nice foundation for the sweet and sour combination of triple sec and lemon juice. Adding fresh blackberries gives it a wonderful dimension and the plum bitters finish it off perfectly. It all comes together quickly, creating a delicious summertime cocktail that you'll want to mix up more than once.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 ounce triple sec

  • 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice

  • 4 blackberries

  • 1 1/2 ounces gin

  • 1 dash plum bitters

  • Lemon twist, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a cocktail shaker, add the triple sec, lemon juice, and blackberries. Muddle well.

  3. Add the gin and plum bitters, then fill with ice.

  4. Shake vigorously.

  5. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

  6. Garnish with a lemon twist. Serve and enjoy!

Tips

  • For the best drink, try to use fresh blackberries, particularly when they are at their peak.
  • You'll want to match the quality of your triple sec to the gin. A popular top-shelf option is Cointreau, though there are others available that make excellent drinks. Quite often, the least expensive bottles are very syrup-like and will throw the drink out of balance.
  • The average lemon will yield 1 3/4 ounces of juice, so one fruit will be enough for a couple of drinks.
  • Before cutting the lemon to juice it, cut the lemon twist from the peel using a paring or channel knife.
  • Fee Brothers makes plum bitters and it may be the only commercially available option in this particular flavor.

Recipe Variations

  • This recipe is courtesy of Brockmans and its fruit profile does make it a perfect fit. You can, however, make an excellent drink with other gins. Do some experiments and taste the difference between this newer style of gin and more traditional dry gins. It's quite fascinating.
  • Try this recipe with other berries. Blueberries are the other natural complement to Brockmans, though raspberries would be a nice contrast.

How Strong Is a Blackberry Sidecar?

Brockmans is bottled at the standard gin strength of 80 proof. When combined with the average triple sec, this cocktail's alcohol content will be in the 24 percent ABV (48 proof) range. That's typical of this style of drink and similar in strength to the cosmopolitan. It's not a light drink, so keep this in mind if you'd like to avoid a hangover.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
169 Calories
0g Fat
11g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 169
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 11g 4%
Dietary Fiber 2g 9%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 20mg 102%
Calcium 18mg 1%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 79mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)