Cocktail of the Week: Blackberry-Ginger Spritzer

With the arrival of Memorial Day, summer is unofficially here. (And it's hotter than heck right now in Big D.) So time for grilling and chilling. And by chilling, we mean cocktails. Why not take advantage of the summer blackberry bounty and fix this refresher?

Blackberry-Ginger Syrup
This is the backbone of the cocktail. This is a doubling and adaptation of the original recipe I found. Keep it in a jar in the refrigerator for a week or so.

2 cups blackberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 3-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup water

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes or so. Cool and strain, discarding the solids.

Blackberry-Ginger Spritzer
To make the cocktail, in an ice-filled highball glass, combine 1 1/2 ounces gin, 1 1/2 ounces blackberry-ginger syrup, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Stir and top with club soda. Garnish with a blackberry or two and a lemon wedge.

Cheers!