Drinks

Mint Julep Month: Sparkleberry Mint Julep

Tart up your julep with a splash of blackberry sauce and a squeeze of lemon

March 25, 2019

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photo: Peter Frank Edwards

When a talented bartender like Darlin Kulla works side by side with a world-class kitchen staff, delicious things happen—like this cocktail, made with a blackberry sauce from the dessert menu at Succotash in D.C. “I find that the sweetness of the berries is a great pairing for the mint in the julep,” Kulla says. “We use champagne to brighten the cocktail and add an extra layer of fun.”

Ingredients

for the cocktail
- 1½ oz. Maker's Mark® bourbon
- 1 tbsp. blackberry sauce (see recipe below)
- ¼ oz. lemon juice
- ½ oz. demerara sugar
- Pebble ice
- Splash Champagne or other dry sparkling wine
- 10 mint leaves
- 2 blackberries
- Mint sprig
For Blackberry Sauce (yield enough for 4 drinks)
- 3 pints blackberries
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup maple syrup
- Juice of 2 lemons

Preparation

For the Cocktail:

Muddle bourbon, blackberry sauce, lemon juice, and demerara sugar. Swizzle with crushed ice. Top with a splash of Champagne. Top with more pebble ice, forming a nice dome. Garnish with blackberries and a mint sprig.

For the Blackberry Sauce:

Mix all ingredients until smooth.