This blackberry gin sour is tart and refreshing. It combines gin with homemade blackberry syrup and fresh lemon juice, topped with a silky egg white foam. The deep pink color and velvety texture make it feel fancy, but it’s really simple to make.

A vibrant pink blackberry cocktail in a glass with a frothy top, garnished with a skewer of three blackberries resting on the rim, which is coated with red sugar. The background is softly blurred.

About this blackberry gin sour

This is a fruit variation of the classic gin sour, made with gin, fresh lemon juice, blackberry simple syrup, and optionally an egg white for foam. It follows the standard sour formula, which is spirit, citrus, and sweetener in a 2:1:1 ratio.

The blackberry syrup does double duty here. It provides both the sweetness and the fruit flavor. The result is a drink that’s tart from the lemon, fruity from the blackberries, and balanced by the botanical notes of the gin.

The egg white is optional, but I say so worth it. It creates that beautiful foam layer on top and gives the drink a silky, velvety texture. If you’re not into raw egg whites, aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas) works as a vegan substitute. Just make sure it’s unsalted.

Key ingredients and why

Gin: London dry gin is the classic choice and works well here. The juniper and citrus botanicals complement the blackberry. A floral gin like Hendrick’s is also lovely if you want something softer.
Fresh lemon juice: Provides the “sour” in gin sour. Always use fresh. Bottled lemon juice tastes flat and won’t give you that bright, tart flavor you need.
Blackberry simple syrup: This is where the color and fruit flavor come from. Homemade is best. It works with fresh or frozen blackberries.
Egg white: Creates the foam and adds body. One egg white is enough for one cocktail. If you’re concerned about raw eggs, use pasteurized eggs.
Ice: For shaking. You’ll shake twice: once without ice (dry shake) to build the foam, then again with ice to chill.

Method

Dry shake the gin, lemon juice, blackberry syrup, and egg white (no ice) to build the foam.
Add ice and shake again until well chilled.
Strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with fresh blackberries.

A hand pours red liquid from a jigger into a silver cocktail shaker. A small bowl of blackberries sits on a wooden surface in the background.

A hand pours a pink blackberry sour cocktail into a glass with a red sugar rim. The glass is on a wooden surface next to a small bowl of fresh blackberries. The background is rustic wood.

Tips

Dry shake first. Shaking without ice before adding ice is essential for building foam. The egg white needs that initial agitation to emulsify properly.
Shake hard with ice. After the dry shake, really go for it. A good 15-20 seconds of vigorous shaking gets the drink properly cold and diluted.
Strain through a fine-mesh strainer. If you want an extra-smooth foam with no ice chips, double-strain through a fine-mesh strainer as you pour.
No egg white? No problem. The drink still tastes great without it. You’ll lose the foam, but the flavor is the same.
Freeze-dried blackberry powder is optional but fun. It makes a beautiful purple rim that matches the drink. Mix it with a little sugar if you want it sweeter.

A red-rimmed cocktail glass holding a frothy, pink drink garnished with three blackberries on a skewer. A small green bowl with additional blackberries is placed nearby on a light wood surface.

Variations

Blueberry gin sour: Swap blackberry syrup for blueberry syrup.
Raspberry gin sour: Use raspberry syrup instead.
Blackberry whiskey sour: Replace the gin with bourbon for a richer, warmer version. The Blackberry Whiskey Sour is worth trying.

More gin sours

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