The Blackberry Merle was a cocktail that was born from ingredients that were on hand. Looking for a new way to showcase the versatility of Pinnacle's Whipped Vodka, I created this fruity but complex cocktail, with an Italian twist.
Pinnacle Whipped vodka tastes like whipped cream, and has a noticeably sweet finish on the palate - so it works exceedingly well in sweet-and-fruity cocktail pairings like Strawberries-and-Cream (muddled strawberries, Pinnacle Whipped, mint leaf garnish, on the rocks) or OrangeCreamsicle (orange juice, Pinnacle Whipped, ice, in a highball glass.)
But for this occasion I was looking to build onto the flavored vodka for a more complex and mysterious cocktail. A few muddled blackberries provided the base, and a half-shot of Italian Strega liqueur was perfect for adding some herbaceous and vanilla notes. I added some lemon juice for tartness, and a bit of Monin lavender syrup to balance the tart and add a more floral character.
Shaken vigorously over ice and then fine strained into a chilled v-shaped martini glass, adding a single berry and a twist for garnish, the drink had a gorgeous dark purple hue.
Overall, everyone who tried this cocktail was enamored with the result. Complex, fruity, and dark in color, the Blackberry Merle had a not-too-sweet flavor, and mysterious quality that had customers trying to guess the ingredients while ordering second rounds.
Try this cocktail for summer. You can find Strega in any good liquor store with a large selection (Premier Group, Passport Wine & Spirits) and Monin lavender syrup at Premier Gourmet on Delaware.
Blackberry Merle
1.5 oz Pinnacle Whipped Vodka
.5 oz Strega liqueur
.25 oz Monin lavender-flavored syrup
.5 oz fresh squezzed lemon juice
4 fresh blackberries
lemon twist
Gently muddle 3 blackberries in the bottom of a mixing glass, and add the Pinnacle Whipped, Strega, fresh lemon juice, and Monin lavender syrup. Fill the shaker with ice and hard-shake until very cold - at least 30 seconds. Strain through your Hawtorne strainer and then into a fine strainer - leaving ice shards and blackberry piecies behind - into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the last blackberry and a twist of lemon peel.
