Blueberry Gin Sour

This Blueberry Gin Sour is easy to make and full of flavor. Featuring a refreshing mix of blueberry jam, tea-infused simple syrup, gin, and lemon, this vibrant summer cocktail is a must-have when you want to impress your guests.

⭐ Why You’ll Love This Recipe 

You’ll always find the classic mix of gin, lemon juice, and sugar in sour cocktail recipes. It’s simplistic, timeless, and leaves plenty of room for creativity. This Blueberry Gin Sour cocktail is just that - imaginative, playful, and most importantly, full of fruity summer flavors!

Elevating an average gin sour with a burst of blueberry, black-currant, and floral flavors is surprisingly easy. Other than the classic ingredients, you’ll need blueberry jam and a custom tea-infused syrup. Pick any tea you like! You can easily customize your cocktail to perfectly fit your taste buds.

The blueberry twist on this gin sour makes it the perfect drink for summer entertaining. You’ll surely love this Grapefruit and Lime Paloma or Passion Fruit Mojito if you fell for this sour blueberry cocktail as quickly as I did. 

🍴Ingredients

• Gin - My favorite distilled spirit! It’s fermented with a dynamic blend of juniper berries and aromatic herbs, helping it pair well with tart fruits and berries. Empress Gin gives this cocktail its gorgeous purple hue but any other gin you enjoy drinking will work instead.

• Tea simple syrup - Simple syrup is a non-negotiable ingredient in sours because the sweetness mellows out the tart lemon and floral gin. Instead of plain simple syrup, this cocktail calls for a tea-infused syrup made from water, sugar, and blueberry and black currant tea. If you don’t have this type of tea, use another fruity, berry-based tea instead.

• Blueberry jam - For another layer of juicy blueberry flavor! You can always use blueberry simple syrup as an alternative! Then use the jam to make my blueberry macarons with blueberry frosting!

• Lemon juice - Freshly squeezed lemon juice is key to the brightest and best flavor.
• Egg white - Egg white cocktails are some of my favorites (like this Pear, Quince, and Elderflower Sour) because they magically change the texture, giving the drink a satiny smooth mouthfeel and a frothy head. Aquafaba (the brine from a can of chickpeas) is a vegan-friendly alternative and produces similar results.

📖 Step by Step Instructions

Make the blueberry and black currant syrup infusion up to 2 weeks ahead of time. The rest of the cocktail comes together in seconds:

Step 1: Make the simple syrup. Bring equal parts water and sugar to a simmer and cook until the sugar dissolves and the liquid thickens. Add the loose tea leaves and let them steep for 30 seconds. Afterward, take the pot off of the heat. 

Step 2: Cool, strain, and store. Let the tea leaves steep until the syrup has cooled to room temperature. Strain it into an airtight bottle and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to make blueberry cocktails.

Step 3: Dry shake. Add the gin, simple syrup, jam, lemon juice, and an egg white to a cocktail shaker. Seal the lid and dry shake (without ice) for 30 seconds.

Step 4: Shake with ice, then serve. Add a scoop of ice to the shaker and shake again for 30 more seconds. Strain your fruity and frothy blueberry lemon cocktail into a coupe glass. Cheers!

⏲️ Substitutions & Variations

• Instead of blueberry jam - Use strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, or black raspberry jam. Fruit jellies and marmalades work too! Try with this plum jam or this strawberry rhubarb freezer jam.  
• For herbaceous notes - Muddle fresh herbs like basil, mint, or thyme in the bottom of your shaker before dry shaking with the rest of the ingredients. 
• Always dry shake sour cocktails first! Shaking the liquid and egg whites without ice whips air into the egg, creating the perfect foam. Add ice afterward to chill the drink.
• Tea-based simple syrup - Make the syrup for this cocktail with any loose-leaf tea blend that has fruity and nutty aromas. Blueberry simple syrup, raspberry simple syrup, and blackberry lilac simple syrup are all good options. For more infusion ideas and everything you need to know about simple syrup, check out my guide here!
• Add a blueberry sugar rim around the cocktail glass for an extra boost of blueberry flavor!

⚒️ Recommended equipment

• Tea infuser - An infuser keeps the tea leaves contained in the syrup, meaning you can skip the strain afterward.
• Cocktail shaker - Sour drinks are always shaken, never stirred. I recommend using a Boston or Parisian shaker. If you don’t own a cocktail shaker, use an airtight container or jar instead. 
• Bar strainer - Make sure it fits over your cocktail shaker.
• Glassware - Serve your sour cocktail in a coupe glass, martini glass, or old-fashioned glass.

⏲️ Expert Tips

1. Homemade Blueberry Syrup Magic: Simmer a mix of a cup of sugar, cup of fresh blueberries, and a cup of water in a small saucepan over medium heat. This homemade blueberry syrup will elevate your gin cocktail, offering a rich depth of flavor, like in this Blueberry Margarita.
2. Muddling Mastery: To infuse the dry gin with authentic berry flavor, use the back end of a rolling pin to muddle fresh blueberries in your cocktail kit. Add fresh lemon juice for a tangy kick, and consider the zest for an extra aromatic touch.
3. Texture Tips: Incorporate raw egg whites into your mix for that creamy mouthfeel and signature foamy top layer. Vigorous shaking is key to achieving this luscious texture in craft cocktails.
4. Presentation Perfection: Serve your blueberry gin sour in a chilled coupe glass or rocks glass with fresh ice. Garnish with a slice of lemon peel and a sprinkle of fresh berries for a fancy cocktail appearance.
5. Flavorful Twists: While the classic sour recipe is delightful, consider exploring variations like the blueberry lavender syrup for a floral hint, or top with tonic water for a refreshing blueberry gin fizz.

💭 Recipe FAQs

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