I probably shouldn’t drink & blog but I HAFTA tell you that these are SCRUMPTIOUS before I forget!  Imagine me saying the word SCRUMPTIOUS with the biggest slur! I’m totally at the slurring stage. SHUT UP!! Don’t make fun of me. I had a gin & tonic on Friday with my neighbor. Gin…a libation that I’ve hated ever since I started my career in drinking.  I couldn’t turn away a drink that my neighbor mixed, so I drank it and was pleasantly surprised.  The best part about drinking the gin & tonic was how it took the sharp edge off my day. In the past, when I had a sip of gin, all I could taste was pine trees.  Now I realize that it really depends what it’s mixed with! Suddenly I like it and am not reminded of Santa and Christmas. Ho ho ho.

I decided to make us some fancy drinks with gin today! Blackberry Ginger Sours! They aren’t super super sweet. They aren’t super sour. They are a perfect balance of adultness with a little bit of fun. Half way through my first drink, I started to feel wonderfully buzzed. It was like I had a nice fuzzy blanket all around me. Yes, I am talking about my buzz. It was glorious. What a nice way to get to my happy place!  Oh and wow! I forgot how yummy blackberries are. I can’t remember the last time I had one. When I was a kid? I am so glad they are on my radar again.

Ok that’s enough. I don’t think I’m making sense here. Bottom line=You should make this.

Get your syrup started. It will need a little chilling time when done cooking. Prepare yourself.

Blackberries, ginger, sugar and water go into a saucepan. It boils and then it simmers.

You need to juice some lemons. A half cup’s worth. That was like 3 1/2 lemons for me.

Then you take that berry syrup and you put it through a fine mesh strainer.

It looks like this when finished!

Gather your mixing ingredients.

Put the gin, lemon juice, blackberry syrup in a pitcher with some ice. Stir it up!

Pour some of the mixed drink in a cup with ice and top it with some sparkly water!

Garnish with a few blackberries (that will probably sink) lemon and mint!

One for you and me.

There’s enough for us to have two big drinks. Now…what are we gonna munch on? Drinking makes me ravenous.

Blackberry Ginger Sours

(recipe from Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine)

• 1 cup blackberries, plus more for garnish
• 1/4 cup sugar
• One 1 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
• 1 cup gin
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, plus lemon slices for garnish
• Ice
• One 12 oz. can club soda
• Mint sprigs, for garnish

1. In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup blackberries, sugar, ginger and 1/4 cup water to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Lower the heat and simmer for 4 minutes. Let cool, then strain, discarding the solids.

2. In a large pitcher, combine the gin, lemon juice and blackberry-ginger syrup. Fill the pitcher with ice and stir vigorously, Fill 6 tall glasses with ice, Pour the chilled liquid into the glasses, holding back the melted ice in the pitcher. Top each drink with the club soda, then garnish with fresh blackberries, a lemon slice and mint.