Fresh Ingredients

Blackberries

Blackberries are the dark, firm fruit of the bramble, sweet and tart when ripe, and picked in Britain from July to October. In drinks they are muddled for colour and juice, three to a Black Widow, or set on top as a garnish: one on a pick, two on a Berry Sour's foam, a few on a Bramble's ice. Fresh, they last two or three days chilled.

Quick Facts

Legal categoryFood

Flavour Strengthlight medium

SeasonBritish: July to October (British Dietetic Association). Frozen: all year, for muddling.

Our keeping timeTwo to three days refrigerated.

Storage

Refrigerate unwashed in a single layer: wash just before use, and use the softest first.

Allergens

None of the 14 listed allergens.

The ingredient

About Blackberries

Flavour Profile

Primary Flavours

Dark BerryTart EdgeWine-like Depth

Tasting Notes

Dark berry, sweet and tart when ripe, with a wine-like depth; sharper earlier in the season.

The core comes away with the fruit

A blackberry is a cluster of drupelets on a core, and unlike a raspberry it keeps that core when picked. The berry is solid all the way through, which is why it holds its shape on a pick or on a foam, and why it needs a firmer press than a raspberry before it bursts.

Muddled, three berries colour a sour

Our Black Widow presses three ripe blackberries in the shaker until they burst, then adds 45ml of vodka, 20ml of crème de mûre, lemon and a short measure of simple syrup. A hard 10 to 12 second shake follows, then a double strain into a cold coupe, which keeps seeds and pulp out of the glass. Frozen berries, thawed, need less pressing.

On top, the berry points at the crème de mûre

Three of our drinks finish with a blackberry, each placed differently. The Black Widow serves one on a cocktail pick across the coupe. The Berry Sour rests two on its egg-white foam. The Bramble sets a few on its crushed ice beside a lemon slice, while the crème de mûre bleeds down through the ice beneath. In all three the berry names the liqueur in the glass.

Blackberry against its neighbours on the back bar

Blackberry

What it is: Bramble fruit, solid core
British season: July to October
Keeps: Two or three days, chilled
Job in our drinks: Muddled, or a garnish

Raspberry

What it is: Cane fruit, hollow core
British season: June to September
Keeps: Two or three days, chilled
Job in our drinks: Mostly a garnish

Crème de mûre

What it is: Blackberry liqueur, 18% ABV
British season: All year
Keeps: A year or more once opened
Job in our drinks: Flavour, sugar and colour

	What it is	British season	Keeps	Job in our drinks
Blackberry	Bramble fruit, solid core	July to October	Two or three days, chilled	Muddled, or a garnish
Raspberry	Cane fruit, hollow core	June to September	Two or three days, chilled	Mostly a garnish
Crème de mûre	Blackberry liqueur, 18% ABV	All year	A year or more once opened	Flavour, sugar and colour

Pick them glossy, and use them within days

Home-grown blackberries ripen from July to October. A ripe berry is glossy black all over and comes away with a light pull; one that resists is not ready, and it will not ripen in the fridge. Folklore stops the picking at Old Michaelmas Day, 11 October, and damp autumn weather tends to agree.

In England and Wales the Theft Act 1968 allows you to pick wild fruit for your own use, though not to sell. Store the berries dry, spread out on a tray in the fridge, for two or three days, and rinse them just before use.

Using it

Using Blackberries

Usage

Muddle three in the shaker until they burst for a Black Widow, shake and double strain. As a garnish, thread one on a cocktail pick, rest two on an egg-white foam as in the Berry Sour, or set a few on the crushed ice of a Bramble beside the lemon slice.

Pro Tip

Keep your firmest berries for the garnish and muddle the softer ones. A firm blackberry holds its shape on a foam or a pick for the life of the drink, while a soft one gives up its juice faster in the shaker, which is where you want it.

Top Tips

Pick or buy glossy, fully black berries; any red at the core means sour fruit.
Muddle until the skins burst, then stop. The seeds stay whole and the double strain catches them.
For a pick garnish, push the pick through the side of the berry, not the core, so it sits level across the glass.
Rinse wild berries at the last minute and blot them on kitchen paper.

Possible Substitutions

Blackberry Liqueur: Crème de mûre at 18%: the flavour without the fruit; adds sugar and alcohol
Raspberries: Softer and sharper, for a garnish where colour matters less than the berry

Production Method

Bramble fruit, picked wild from hedgerows or grown as cultivated varieties.

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

How many blackberries do you muddle for a cocktail?

Three is enough for one drink. Our Black Widow presses three ripe berries in the shaker until they burst, then shakes them with vodka, crème de mûre, lemon and syrup. The berries give colour and juice; the liqueur brings the depth, so more fruit is not needed.

How do you garnish a cocktail with blackberries?

It depends on the glass and the top. A single berry on a cocktail pick laid across a coupe suits a clear drink such as the Black Widow. On an egg-white foam, rest two directly on the surface. On crushed ice, set a few at the top beside a citrus slice.

When are blackberries in season in the UK?

From July to October, says the British Dietetic Association. A berry is ready when it is glossy black all over and leaves the plant with a light pull. Frozen blackberries cover the rest of the year for muddling, though not for a garnish.

Can you pick wild blackberries for cocktails?

Yes. In England and Wales, picking fruit from a plant growing wild is not theft under section four of the Theft Act 1968, unless you pick it to sell. The Act gives no right of access, so stay on land you may use, and rinse the berries before they go near a drink.

Why are you not supposed to pick blackberries after October?

Folklore. British and Irish tradition says the devil spoils blackberries after Old Michaelmas Day, 11 October. There is a practical side: late berries in damp autumn weather go mouldy far more readily, so by mid-October many are past using. Check each one before it goes in a drink.

How long do fresh blackberries keep?

Two or three days, chilled. Leave them unwashed, use the softest first, and remove any with mould before it spreads. A reddish, sour berry stays sour, because blackberries stop ripening once picked.

Can I use frozen blackberries in a cocktail?

For muddling, yes. Thaw them first; frozen fruit bleeds colour faster and needs less pressing, which suits a Black Widow. For a garnish, use fresh. A thawed blackberry leaks dark juice over the rim and will not hold its place on a foam or a pick.

Make something

Made with Blackberries

Featured In These Cocktails

Bramble Berry Sour Black Widow

Often Used With

Guide by Jerry Can Spirits · Updated 11 October 2026

Back to Ingredients Guide