Directions
Making your own liqueurs is fun and easy and make great gifts for friends and family; this Homemade Blackberry Liqueur is no exception!I love making my own liqueurs especially once I discovered how easy they are. I don’t hesitate to try something new, like this Homemade Blackberry Liqueur. I actually have been using a bottle that I’ve loved but it was gone and replacing it would require a trip to downtown Denver. I decided it was time to try my hand at replicating a version in my kitchen.Sold as Crème de Mûre, Blackberry Liqueur is nice to have on hand for cocktails and after dinner libations but it also makes a great gift for friends and family; it is so delicious! I’ve made other liqueurs I love too including Limoncello and this Cranberry Liqueur, which has always been a huge favorite over the holidays; the color is so beautiful.This Sparkling Blackberry Smash cocktail I most recently made for Halloween includes blackberry liqueur and vodka topped with sparkling wine. It’s not just for Halloween either, without the skull insignia, it could be served for any occasion. Dry ice optional. 🙂Most of the liqueurs I’ve made have three major components; vodka, sugar, and fruit. Limoncello is made just from the rind, vodka and sugar, and the cranberry liqueur is made combining chopped berries with vodka and sugar. This one? Totally different. I researched several recipes and it seems there is a tossup between using brandy or red wine. I chose the wine. Mostly because I imagine that wine and berries would taste amazing but also because I thought it would produce a deep, rich color and I was right.Maybe the biggest difference between this recipe and other liqueur recipes is that there is not a time requirement like they have before the liqueur is ready to drink. In both of my other recipes, the fruit has to steep in the vodka for several weeks and is then strained from the final product but not with this blackberry liqueur. The berries are mashed or blended (I blended mine) and mixed with wine, vodka, and sugar and it’s ready within days. Or minutes; even though a bit of time to let it all meld only makes it better.This is very easy to make and not what I would consider time consuming but there is a time element involved. After the berries are blended, they have to be passed through a strainer and also through muslin to get rid of both the seeds and any solids. My testing included two passes through muslin before I saw a totally clear product. I highly recommend the use of butter muslin, most often used for cheese-making. It has a much finer weave than the typical cheesecloth you can obtain more easily and will strain out the solids more effectively.I had another blackberry cocktail designed for the blog and it is what precipitated me getting this made first; I knew it would be extra special with some homemade blackberry liqueur. Look for this Blackberry Serrano Margarita next Friday; it uses my favorite jam and blackberry liqueur and it is a stellar cocktail!What I love about these liqueurs are how versatile they are. Use them in cocktails, serve chilled as an apertif, or simply over ice topped with champagne or sparkling soda as I have in the photos. I love using them for dessert too, drizzling the liqueur on top of ice cream for a simple yet elegant finish to a meal.I make a lot of gifts to give to friends for the holidays and the one they always clamor for is my liqueur du jour; people LOVE homemade gifts and this one would be extra special!Cheers! PIN IT! ‘Homemade Blackberry Liqueur (Crème de Mûre)’
