Yes indeed, another week, another cocktail diaries post. I’m on a roll! And I am really excited about today’s cocktail.

This past weekend we went with our friends Bee and Kevin up to Sauvie Island to pick fruit, and then we came home to do preservation en masse. My arms were scratched up and red, and I sneezed the whole way, but the marionberries were so worth it! And then we canned things for hours (again, worth it).

We canned tomato sauce, peaches, two jams and finally, this blackberry syrup. I’m not sure what got into me, but just as I was finishing the last batch of jam I decided I needed some, and why make a little when you already have the canner going? I am crazy. Yes.

Fun fact of the day: margaritas are part of a family of cocktails called sours. They involve a base spirit with a relatively large amount of citrus juice and some kind of sweetening agent. A sidecar, for example is also a sour. Since my sweetening agent here is a syrup and not a liqueur, these will be a little less boozy than your average marg.

But you know what, it’s summertime and the livin’ is easy. We can save the big booze for when it’s rainy every day and the sun sets at four.

Or. We can have two margaritas. 🙂

Here’s what you need:
1 1/2 oz. reposado tequila
1 1/2 oz. blackberry cocktail syrup*
3/4 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
2 dashes lemon bitters
lime wedges and additional blackberries for garnish

*To make blackberry syrup: Add 1 cup water, 3/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup blackberries to a saucepan. Smash the blackberries. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring so the sugar dissolves. Strain into a glass jar and allow to cool before mixing.

Shake the tequila, syrup, lime juice and bitters until icy, icy cold. Double strain over ice and garnish with lime wedges and blackberries.