Meet the most perfect summer cocktail! Muddled blackberries give this vodka spritzer a lovely color, and the fresh cucumber and mint add a refreshing touch. If enjoying fruity cocktails is on your summer agenda, this bubbly blackberry-cucumber-vanilla vodka spritzer is just what you need.

With summer here, we need plenty of refreshing cocktail recipes in our back pocket. You just never know when an impromptu gathering on the patio calls, and only the most summery sipper will do. As far as I’m concerned, this cocktail has everything that makes me think of long days and warm nights.

Fresh produce.
Sprigs of vibrant mint.
A hint of citrus.
Plenty of bubbles.

Sounds like summer in a cocktail glass to me. Now let’s get to it.

How to Make

Cucumber is a delicate flavor, so to help it shine, I like to make fresh cucumber juice. This is as simple as blending a cucumber with a splash of water and use the purée for a stronger touch of cucumber.

Next, we add the blackberries to the shaker with the cucumber juice, mint leaves and start muddling. We’re finished when the blackberries mostly break down, which shouldn’t take too long.

With our flavorings prepared, we’re ready to mix in our vodka, fresh lime juice and simple syrup. Originally, I planned to make this cocktail with regular vodka, but I checked my freezer to discover only a sad scant of vodka left in the bottle. Fortunately, I recently bought a bottle of vanilla vodka, so I adjusted. Sometimes you need a cocktail ASAP, and you don’t have the time or patience for another trip to the store. Of course, feel free to use regular vodka if that’s your preference.

After giving this cocktail a good shake, we strain into ice-filled glasses. The blackberries can clog up the small holes on the top of your cocktail shaker, so I recommend changing the top to use a cocktail strainer.

To finish, we give our cocktail a sparkly finish with some bubbly water. I specifically used La Croix Muré Pepino. Club soda works as well, but I love using sparkling flavored water that mimics the ingredients in a cocktail.

And that’s it! We’re ready to sit back, enjoy the summer evening and sip away.

Perfect Pairing

Picking a pairing for this cocktail is difficult because you can go in so many directions with this drink. That said, with the cucumber and mint, my brain keeps returning to Mediterranean food. To keep with the summer theme, I suggest marinading some bone-in chicken in Greek dressing and tossing it on the grill. Serve the grilled chicken with a side of tzatziki sauce, couscous and this blackberry-cucumber-vanilla vodka spritzer for one tasty meal.

When you need the perfect summer cocktail, I hope you try this blackberry-cucumber-vanilla vodka spritzer. Please let me know how you enjoyed this recipe in the comment section and don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter. You can also catch me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter.

Cheers!

Love Vodka Cocktails?

Blackberry-Cucumber-Vanilla Vodka Spritzer

Author: Amanda McGrory-Dixon
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 1 cocktail 1x

Print Recipe

Description

Scale

Ingredients

For Simple Syrup
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

For Blackberry-Cucumber-Vanilla Vodka Spritzer
1/4 cup cucumber juice from a whole cucumber
Splash of water
1/4 cup blackberries
Mint leaves from a sprig
1/2 lime, juiced
2 ounces vanilla vodka
1 ounce simple syrup
Ice
A splash of La Croix Muré Pepino, club soda or your favorite sparkling water

Instructions

For Simple Syrup

Simmer the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir frequently to dissolve the sugar.
As soon as the sugar dissolves, remove from heat and chill in the refrigerator. It will store for several weeks.

For Blackberry-Cucumber-Vanilla Vodka Spritzer

Cut the cucumber into chunks and add to the blender with a splash of water. Blend until smooth. Place a bowl underneath a fine-mesh sieve and pour the cucumber puree into the sieve. Discard the solids collected in the sieve and use 1/4 cup of cucumber juice for cocktail.
Add the cucumber juice along with blackberries and mint to a cocktail shaker and muddle until the berries break down.
Add the vanilla vodka, lime juice, simple syrup and a handful ice. Shake for about 15-30 seconds until the shaker turns frosty. Replace the top of the shaker with a strainer and pour into highball glasses with ice. Top with desired amount of La Croix Muré Pepino or sparkling beverage of your choice. Garnish with additional lime, mint and a blackberry if you’d like. Enjoy!

Notes

You can also use store-bought simple syrup, though I prefer to make my own.
If you have extra additional cucumber juice, you can freeze it for future use.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Category: Cocktails
Method: Stove Top
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 drink
Calories: 280
Sugar: 32
Sodium: 5
Fat: 0
Saturated Fat: 0
Unsaturated Fat: 0
Trans Fat: 0
Carbohydrates: 66
Fiber: 2
Protein: 1
Cholesterol: 0

Keywords: cucumber cocktail, blackberry cocktail, vodka spritzer, vodka cocktail

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