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Brambles, a member of the rose family, grow wild all over Marin County. Every year I keep a lookout for the best patch of blackberries and now is the time for picking. You can wear long sleeves to protect your arms from the thorns, but you won’t be able to do anything about your blue-stained fingers—another hazard of the job. There are not too many blackberries called for in the drink recipe below which is lucky, because if you’re anything like me, you will have eaten most of the berries before you get home. 

Simple syrup is available to buy but it is inexpensive and easy to make: see recipe below.

It is helpful to have a muddler to make this drink, though you could use a mortar and pestle in a pinch.

 Serves 2

 Ingredients:

•  10 blackberries plus two for garnish

• 12 mint leaves

• 3 tablespoons of simple syrup (store bought, or recipe below)

• ¼ cup fresh lime juice (about 4 limes)

• 4 oz. white rum

• 4 oz. club soda

Instructions:

 Put the mint leaves, blackberries and 1 tablespoon of simple syrup in a shaker or mortar and muddle the berries and leaves. Strain the mixture into a pitcher. Add the lime juice, rum, last two tablespoons of the simple syrup, and club soda. Fill two glasses with ice, add one blackberry, pour the cocktail into your glasses. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Simple Syrup

(makes about 1 ½ cups)

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• ¾ cup water

Add sugar and water to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and continue to simmer for about 10 minutes. Let cool, pour into a jar and keep in the fridge. It will last a couple months.