Blackberry Bramble

[chefrob]

Blackberry Bramble

1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)
1/2 ounce agave nectar
1 1/2 ounces tequila blanco
1/4 ounce Crème de Mure (French blackberry liqueur)
Fresh blackberries
Lemon spiral or wedge
Crushed ice

Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into a large shaker tin or glass. Add half the amount of agave nectar as you did lemon juice. Match the volume of the filled glass with tequila blanco. Add two scoops of crushed ice and shake vigorously. Fine strain into an old-fashioned glass with fresh ice filled to the brim. Pour a little bit of Crème de Mure over the cocktail and let it slowly bleed to the bottom of the glass. Garnish with a couple fresh blackberries and a lemon spiral.

*Crème de Mure is basically blackberry-infused red wine. It's similar to Crème de Cassis, which can be used instead if you wish. Chambord can also be used. These are all available in liquor stores or you can easily make a batch at home.*

Crème de Mure

1.5 kg ripe blackberries
2 liters decent quality red wine
Sugar

Wash the blackberries, place in an earthenware pot or pyrex bowl and crush with a wooden spoon. Add the red wine, cover and let soak for 48 hours in the refrigerator.

Filter then weigh the juice and add the same weight of sugar. Pour into an enamel or stainless steel saucepan and heat to just boiling. Let it boil gently for 5 minutes, being careful not to burn off the alcohol, stirring with a wooden spoon from time to time. Let cool, filter once more and bottle.

If filtered well, and bottled into sterilized bottles and well corked this will keep indefinitely. Don't be tempted to hurry up the filtering process - just let gravity to do its job.