Blackberry Liqueur Recipes

Steps:

• Combine blackberry juice, sugar, cloves, cinnamon stick, and lemon zest in a large saucepan. Slowly bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Strain to remove spices and add rum.
• Pour liqueur into a sterilized bottle and seal. Store in a cool, dark place.

Steps:

• Shake together the water, vodka and sugar to dissolve sugar.
• Gently mix together with the blackberries, taking care not to cut or crush the berries.
• Leave to infuse about 10-12 days until the berries have lost most of their color.
• Pour thru a fine strainer and discard the berries.
• Pour into decorative bottles.

Steps:

• Shake the gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup in a cocktail shaker with a good handful of ice cubes then strain into a rocks glass full of crushed ice. Drizzle the crème de mure over the top so it 'bleeds' into the drink. Garnish with the lemon slice and blackberry, if using.3 TWISTSFresh fruit brambleThis drink is one to make when the hedgerows are groaning with ripe fruit. Start by muddling 6 blackberries in a rocks glass. Add 50ml gin, 25ml lemon juice, 25ml sugar syrup and fill the glass two thirds full with crushed ice. Mix with a long-handled spoon. Top with more crushed ice, a garnish and paper straws.Bramble royaleGo glam with your bramble by adding a splash of champagne to the mix. Just make the drink as normal but reduce the amount of crushed ice by about a third to leave room for the fizz. Then top with 25-50ml of champagne, mix gently, add a bit more crushed ice, garnish and serve.Peach sourThe classic 'sour' formula that the bramble sticks to is easy to adapt by switching out the liqueur. Try 12.5ml of crème de peche instead of crème de mure - it might not look quite as eye-catching as the bloodshot bramble but it will taste just as delicious.

Steps:

• Tip the blackberries, cinnamon stick, bay leaf and sugar into a large sterilised jar. Pour over the vodka, seal the jar and swirl around to dissolve the sugar. Store in a cool, dark place and turn the jar once a day for the first week.
• After two to three weeks, strain the vodka through a fine mesh sieve (see tip, below) and decant into bottles, then label. It will keep its colour for a few months, and will be drinkable for up to a year. Use the infused blackberries in bakes or meringue-based desserts.

Steps:

• Pick over the blackberries and remove any stalks or leaves. Tip into a large ceramic or glass bowl and pour over the wine. Use a potato masher to crush the fruit into the wine. Cover with a tea towel and leave to macerate in a cool place for 2 days, mashing occasionally.
• Pour the mixture through a plastic sieve, then pass again through the sieve or a colander lined with a square of muslin to remove any bits. 3 Tip the juice into a pan and add the sugar. Heat gently, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then simmer for 5 mins. Leave to cool, then stir in the vodka or gin. Using a small jug, pour into bottles, then seal and label. It's ready to use straight away. Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight for up to 1 year.