Blackberry Caipirinha

Author Notes

The blackberries make it autumnal, but feel free to go with any berry you run into at the market. Keep in mind, this is a drink that requires a good, fierce muddling. If you want to do it the fancy way, crush the berries with a tablespoon or so of water and then strain out the seeds before proceeding with the drink. If you want to, you can run a little water or lime around the rim of the rocks glass and dip it into sugar before you pour in the cocktail to give it a pretty edge. -MissGinsu —MissGinsu

Test Kitchen Notes

A classic caipirinha is made with cachaca (distilled from sugar cane), sugar and lime juice. MissGinsu's version doesn't stray far -- she adds fresh blackberries, which dye the drink a deep purple. It's bright and a little austere. The recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of sugar, but you may want to add more to taste if your blackberries are tart. Add any extra sugar after the drink is shaken, and shake it again to dissolve the added sugar. If you can't find cachaca, you can use white rum. - Amanda & Merrill —The Editors