So it’s been kind of a crazy week. I think I spent maybe 16 hours in my office — the rest of the time I was either running around attending different sessions at a conference or learning how to take control of my career as an empowered female lawyer. It was all very cool, and I learned a ton, but man…I’m tired. Thank God it’s Friday.
Dan and I have been on green-thumb kick lately, so I was really looking forward to coming home today and getting elbow deep in soil and green things. The balcony looks a little worse for the wear now, but I successfully re-potted the lemon tree and the big (nameless) tree on the left. I even planted a whole bunch of daisies! In a few weeks my balcony is gonna look awesome.
So, after all that gardening, I definitely deserved a refreshing beverage. I had a really tasty cocktail at happy hour a few nights ago, and it was still on my mind. It was called “Backyard Margarita” and was made with muddled blackberries, Moet champagne, and tequila. I’d never had a margarita with champagne in it before, but it was surprisingly delicious. Sweet, fizzy, boozy, and refreshing. Perfect for a warm Friday night after a long week and productive gardening session.
My version of the drink didn’t turn out exactly the way I remembered it tasting at the bar, but I still enjoyed it immensely. It’s pretty hard to go wrong with fruit, sugar, and booze. One drink in and now I’m totally relaxed, my head is pleasantly foggy from the combined forces of champagne and tequila, and my tongue is tangy with the taste of ripe blackberries. Mmm mmm mmm. Happy Friday, y’all! (And happy super-early Cinco de Mayo!)
- 1 cup blackberries + more for garnish
- 2 tbsp sugar (NOTE: Having made many more margs since this one, I would actually recommend using simple syrup rather than straight sugar -- it'll give you a more concentrated and even sweet flavor. Just bring 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water to a simmer over the stove, until sugar is completely dissolved. Then, measure out the amount of syrup you'd like to use in your beverage. I suggest starting out with 1 oz, and tweaking it from there based on taste.)
- 1 tbsp lemon (or lime) juice
- 4 oz champagne (1 oz = 1 shot)
- 2 oz tequila
- Throw 1 cup blackberries, lemon juice, and sugar (or simple syrup) into a martini shaker. Using a large spoon, crush berries and stir mixture until juicy.
- Add tequila, cap the shaker, and shake until mixture is well-combined. (Don't be a dummy like me and shake after adding champagne. Champagne is fizzy, and shaking it will just cause you to have a messy, red explosion all over your counters. You could also just combine all the ingredients in a carafe and stir vigorously.)
- Uncap shaker and pour mixture directly into 2 champagne glasses. Divide champagne between glasses, and stir gently. (You can strain the liquid out, or leave the fruit chunks. I personally think this drink tastes better with crushed pieces of fruit adding extra flavor.)
- Garnish with more blackberries and some mint.
- Enjoy!
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Simply Tia says
I think Iโd like a moment alone with this margarita! How refreshing.
justputzing says
Haha, I definitely enjoyed my alone-time with my margarita ๐
Mel (Sharky Oven Gloves) says
This cocktail looks wonderfully tasty, and perfect for summer!
justputzing says
Thanks!
LP @dishclips says
Looks like such an elegant drink. I would love to carry that around at a dinner party. Thanks for sharing!
justputzing says
Thanks for reading!
claire says
Oh that is my kind of drink. I will be enjoying my weekend with one (or a few) of these.
justputzing says
I hope you like them!
Genevieve says
What a fabulous cocktail idea. I LOVE blackberries.
justputzing says
Thank you! I’m a big fan of blackberries too ๐
Russell at Chasing Delicious says
Yummy! Look at these drinks!
Pam says
Thank you so much for posting this drink recipe. It looks so refreshing!
I’ve included it on my New Year’s Eve post http://housewivesoffrederickcounty.com/16-new-years-eve-sparkling-bubbly-cocktails/
Thank you!
Pam
http://www.housewivesoffrederickcounty.com
justputzing says
Thanks for reading! I appreciate the recipe shout out ๐ Happy New Year!
lili says
This is similar to a margarita made with Merlot wine. Very refreshing and intoxicating!
justputzing says
Mmm, I’ll have to give that a try!
whitney wolfsohn says
This sounds amazing! Did I miss where the lemon juice comes in?
justputzing says
No, you didn’t! I forgot to put that in the directions ;p Sorry! Recipe updated.
J. Wees says
Has anyone tried it with lime juice? Wouldn’t lime juice make it more of a margarita instead of the lemon juice?
justputzing says
Yup, I bet this would taste great with lime juice – that’s what I usually use in my margaritas. Didn’t have any on hand at the time though! ๐
JWees says
Thanks! Can’t wait to try!
justputzing says
Hope you like it!