Made with fresh seasonal summer berries, Maple Brown Sugar Bourbon Blackberries are perfect for serving over ice cream, on a pie, as a pie, on a cake. Turn the blackberry syrup into a nice cocktail drink. Pour some over your morning pancakes or waffles for a special weekend treat!
Canning blackberry syrup or canning blackberries is a fun summer activity, and these berries are infused with the delicious flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg along with the irresistible brown sugar, maple syrup, and bourbon. These can be made and refrigerated for use right away, or canned (makes great gifts!) or frozen to save for later.
I first made and shared this recipe in 2012. It’s been a popular and fun recipe on my blog for years. But I wanted to update it for a better user experience for you!
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Boozy berries
I saw these boozy berry preserves on Punk Domestics when they posted a link to some recipes using booze.
PD stated, “We love cooking with booze. Sometimes we even use it in the food! [hee hee] A shot of bourbon, vodka, wine or beer can add depth and complexity to jams, mustards, and more.”
I had to take a look! And I was excited to find this great idea from Local Kitchen. Bourbon. Maple. Brown Sugar. And, blackberries (my favorite berry)!
Sign me up!
The life cycle of a blackberry
I saw this article on photos of the life cycles of different things. It inspired me, so I decided to take this picture and share it here.
Blackberries have cool stages of life!
How to serve
These berries in syrup can be served in so many ways.
Serve the Blackberry bourbon sauce over a cake, like an angel food cake. Or, serve them over spice cakes.
Spoon some berries over ice cream, especially butter pecan ice cream or vanilla ice cream.
They’ll be fun to serve with grilled peaches in the summer too. Maybe with a dollop of whipped cream.
Spoon berries and a little syrup over lemon cheesecake.
Oh, and the bourbon maple syrup mixed into some whipped cream will be fantastic on pie!
Fill a pie crust with the drunken blackberries for a delicious pie.
Blackberry syrup for drinks
The recipe makes extra blackberry bourbon syrup, and such a delicious syrup it is!
Use the extra syrup for making spiced bourbon beverages.
Drop a spoonful of berries and syrup into a glass of champagne for an easy and fancy celebratory drink.
It makes great cocktails or mocktails. Some, but not all, of the alcohol is cooked off, so I wouldn’t serve these to kids, but fun for a light drink for adults.
Blackberry Bourbon Smash Cocktail
Try a Blackberry Bourbon Smash (like a mojito) with fresh muddled lime, mint, and Maple Brown Sugar Bourbon Blackberries topped with soda water.
6–7 mint leaves
½ ounce lime juice
3 Maple Brown Sugar Bourbon Blackberries from the preserves
2 ounces bourbon, optional (leave out for a lighter drink)
Cup of ice
¾ ounce Boozy maple syrup from the preserves
club soda
Combine mint leaves, lime juice, and blackberries in a shaker. Muddle until pulverized. Add bourbon, ice, and syrup, and shake vigorously for about 10 seconds.
Pour full contents into a rocks glass (no straining) and top with club soda. Stir and garnish with mint leaves and a blackberry.
If you’re going to can these, please follow the instructions from the USDA’s National Center for Home Food Preservation or the official site from the makers of Ball jars.
You may be asking, “what makes it safe to water bath this can since there’s no added acid in the recipe? It’s primarily the acidic blackberries that make this safe to water bath can. The slightly acidic booze just adds an extra layer of safety.
But, like I said, I love the flexibility that you can refrigerate these to use right away, which is usually how I enjoy them.
How to make preserves
These flavorful blackberries are easy to make, and I love that you can keep them in the fridge for use right away, freeze them for later, or can them for longer storage.
Please be sure to scroll down for the complete printable recipe card with ingredients and full instructions.
In a medium heavy bottomed saucepan, combine light brown sugar, water, maple syrup, cinnamon stick, and ground nutmeg. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat and simmer 5 to 10 minutes, until syrup thickens. Don’t rush this step, or the syrup won’t be thick enough.
Using a slotted spoon, remove cinnamon stick.
Add bourbon and bring syrup back to a boil (syrup will bubble up a bit at this point).
Add blackberries and simmer for 5 minutes.
Use the syrup and berries immediately. Or let them cool, transfer them to containers, and store in the fridge for up to a month. Berries can also be frozen for six months.
Canning blackberries
If you prefer to can them, please read on.
Transfer hot cooked berries to clean ready jars; using a slotted spoon pack berries into jars, tamping on the jar a few times to settle berries.
Ladle syrup over berries to ½-inch headspace; remove any air bubbles, wipe rims, affix lids and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Please follow the instructions from the USDA’s National Center for Home Food Preservation or the official site from the makers of Ball jars.
Canned berries can sit on the shelf for up to 1 year.
Mix it up
I think {affiliate link} Grade B Maple Syrup would be delicious in this; that extra maple flavor should work really well.
Want to try a different alcohol? Whiskey, rum, cognac, use your favorite.
You can also make this recipe with frozen berries. Frozen ones do tend to be softer than fresh ones, so keep that in mind.
Make the berries and syrup into a Blackberry bourbon jam /jelly by introducing pectin into the syrup. Bring to boil and stir at a boil a few minutes until the mixture thickens.
You could also simply thicken the blackberry syrup with some cornstarch mixed into water to make a dessert sauce that would be great over bread pudding or chocolate cake.
Blackberry recipes
I love blackberries! If you’re like me you’re always looking for new recipes to check out featuring the berry that grows wild in the PNW.
Be sure to check out my blackberry cream scones, breakfast quinoa with blackberries, Blackberry peach fruit crisp, Blackberry Nutella hand pies, Blackberry pie, and blackberry curd.
Kitchen tools you may need
Heavy bottomed saucepan
slotted spoon
half-pint canning jars
canning lids
water bath canning system
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Recipe
Maple Brown Sugar Bourbon Blackberries
Ingredients
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup filtered water
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/3 cup bourbon
- 1 & ½ pounds blackberries rinsed and cleaned
Instructions
Make syrup & berries
- In a medium heavy bottomed saucepan, combine all ingredients except bourbon and blackberries. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat and simmer 5 to 10 minutes, until syrup thickens.1 cup filtered water, 1 cup light brown sugar, ¼ cup maple syrup, 1 cinnamon stick, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Using a slotted spoon, remove cinnamon stick. Add bourbon and bring syrup back to a boil (syrup will bubble up a bit at this point). Add blackberries and simmer for 5 minutes.1/3 cup bourbon, 1 & ½ pounds blackberries
- While the berries are cooking, prepare (get out and make sure they are squeaky clean) the jar(s) you’ll use to store and/or give away the berries.
- Transfer cooked preserves to the clean ready jars; using a slotted spoon pack berries into jars, tamping on the jar a few times to settle berries.
- Berries can be refrigerated or frozen at this point.
To can:
- Ladle syrup over berries to ½-inch headspace; remove any air bubbles, wipe rims, affix lids and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Please follow the instructions from the USDA’s National Center for Home Food Preservation or the official site from the makers of Ball jars. Allow berries to sit on the shelf for at least 1 month in order to flavors to develop. Store up to 1 year.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
Has anyone tried this with frozen berries? This sounds delicious!
Hi Polly, I haven’t tried it with frozen berries, but I bet it would still work. And thanks! Let me know if you try it! Thanks!