Making your own liqueurs is fun and easy and make great gifts for friends and family; this Homemade Blackberry Liqueur is no exception!
I love making my own liqueurs especially once I discovered how easy they are. I don’t hesitate to try something new, like this Homemade Blackberry Liqueur. I actually have been using a bottle that I’ve loved but it was gone and replacing it would require a trip to downtown Denver. I decided it was time to try my hand at replicating a version in my kitchen.
Sold as Crème de Mûre, Blackberry Liqueur is nice to have on hand for cocktails and after dinner libations but it also makes a great gift for friends and family; it is so delicious! I’ve made other liqueurs I love too including Limoncello and this Cranberry Liqueur, which has always been a huge favorite over the holidays; the color is so beautiful.
This Sparkling Blackberry Smash cocktail I most recently made for Halloween includes blackberry liqueur and vodka topped with sparkling wine. It’s not just for Halloween either, without the skull insignia, it could be served for any occasion. Dry ice optional. 🙂
Most of the liqueurs I’ve made have three major components; vodka, sugar, and fruit. Limoncello is made just from the rind, vodka and sugar, and the cranberry liqueur is made combining chopped berries with vodka and sugar. This one? Totally different. I researched several recipes and it seems there is a tossup between using brandy or red wine. I chose the wine. Mostly because I imagine that wine and berries would taste amazing but also because I thought it would produce a deep, rich color and I was right.
Maybe the biggest difference between this recipe and other liqueur recipes is that there is not a time requirement like they have before the liqueur is ready to drink. In both of my other recipes, the fruit has to steep in the vodka for several weeks and is then strained from the final product but not with this blackberry liqueur. The berries are mashed or blended (I blended mine) and mixed with wine, vodka, and sugar and it’s ready within days. Or minutes; even though a bit of time to let it all meld only makes it better.
This is very easy to make and not what I would consider time consuming but there is a time element involved. After the berries are blended, they have to be passed through a strainer and also through muslin to get rid of both the seeds and any solids. My testing included two passes through muslin before I saw a totally clear product. I highly recommend the use of butter muslin, most often used for cheese-making. It has a much finer weave than the typical cheesecloth you can obtain more easily and will strain out the solids more effectively.
I had another blackberry cocktail designed for the blog and it is what precipitated me getting this made first; I knew it would be extra special with some homemade blackberry liqueur. Look for this Blackberry Serrano Margarita next Friday; it uses my favorite jam and blackberry liqueur and it is a stellar cocktail!
What I love about these liqueurs are how versatile they are. Use them in cocktails, serve chilled as an apertif, or simply over ice topped with champagne or sparkling soda as I have in the photos. I love using them for dessert too, drizzling the liqueur on top of ice cream for a simple yet elegant finish to a meal.
I make a lot of gifts to give to friends for the holidays and the one they always clamor for is my liqueur du jour; people LOVE homemade gifts and this one would be extra special!
Cheers!
More Favorite Liqueurs!
Homemade Liqueurs are easy to make and such fun to serve and give as gifts.
PIN IT! ‘Homemade Blackberry Liqueur (Crème de Mûre)’
Homemade Blackberry Liqueur (Crème de Mûre)
Homemade blackberry liqueur is an easy and beautiful libation; great for gifts too for family and friends.
Ingredients
- 24 oz blackberries (4-6oz packages), washed
- 1 bottle of red wine (750ml), used a Pinot Noir
- 1.5 cups sugar
- 1 cup vodka
Instructions
- Blend the berries just enough to break them down to liquid. Combine with the wine and let them sit for a couple of hours before proceeding.
- Strain the mixture first using a strainer to remove the seeds and then twice more through double layers of butter musline to remove any solids.
- Pour the wine and berry mixture into a saucepan and add the sugar. Heat to a gentle simmer until sugar has totally dissolved and then let simmer for 3-4 more minutes.
- Remove from heat, let cool down for 10 minutes and then add the vodka. Pour into sterilized containers or bottles.
Notes
Notes
Will keep almost indefinitely if kept in cool, preferably dark location.
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I finally made this yesterday! It’s delicious!! Thanks for the recipe.
I’m so glad you tried it…it’s become one of my favorites! Make sure I see your post with the cocktail; I’ll share it!
Wow, it looks so enticing and… elegant! Perfect for fall and winter. And I do love its color. Thank you so much for this idea. Gonna make these cocktails for our friend’s gathering next weekend. I’m sure the info you provide will help me a lot. Btw, Barb have you ever used other red wines except for a Pinot Noir to make this liqueur?
p.s. I think it could be a fantastic gift when poured in a lovely decorative bottle.
This was the first time that I tried this Ann so I haven’t used any other wines but I would. Maybe not one that’s too dry though because I wanted the result to have a sweetness to it. I have a favorite Cabernet that I might try next time!
Is there anything that can use other than wine? I can’t drink it without getting sick.
When I decided to make a homemade version, I saw two distinct different variations in the recipes I found. I chose wine but the other uses brandy and vodka. Serious Eats has this recipe; I’ve not tried it but I think it sounds good too.
https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/07/homemade-blackberry-liqueur-recipe.html
Let me know if you make it how it turns out!
Are the blackberries you used, fresh or frozen. I read the text but may have missed that sentence. Thanks. I love liqueurs. I won a purple ribbon my first time out….apricot!
They are fresh Jan but I think you could substitute Frozen if that’s what you have. They’re blended just enough to break them down before they’re added to the wine so I really can’t see that would make a difference. I would let them thaw first though.
This looks excellent! I don’t make my own liqueurs — I really should, because it’s easy. Neat post — thanks.
I am surprised you haven’t tried something. They’re really usually pretty easy to make. It’s funny I think the most well-known one is limoncello and it’s probably the most time-consuming because you have to peel the lemon rind off of the lemons and make sure it has none of the pith. It’s a pain in the pith. 🙂