Blackberry and Pink Peppercorn Simple Syrup Recipe

Simple syrups are a fun and easy way to add flavors to drinks like cocktails and mocktails. This quick recipe uses blackberries and whole pink peppercorns for a sweet, tangy, and lightly spiced syrup that is great in cocktails like my Blackberry Pink Peppercorn Gin Sour!

How to make simple syrup

Simple syrup is, in fact, very simple. All you have to do is combine equal parts sugar and water and stir - that's it. Then you can take things a step further by adding fruits, herbs, or spices to add flavor. If you want to learn more, I talk a lot about syrups and how to make one from just about any ingredient in my Ultimate Guide to Cocktail Syrups.

Syrup ingredients

For this recipe, we're adding blackberries and pink pepper to list of ingredients. Here's more info on each ingredient and how we'll use it.

Water

For many quick syrup recipes, I use warm or hot water, but because we're going to be cooking this syrup, the temperature of the water doesn't matter much. You'll need one cup of water.

Sugar

I used regular white sugar for this syrup because I like the neutral flavor and color. A simple syrup made with white sugar will be clear, so the syrup will turn a beautiful red color from the berries and pink peppercorns. You can opt to use demerara, turbinado, or brown sugar instead, but just keep in mind that the syrup will be a much darker, browner color (which will affect the color of the drinks you make).

Blackberries

You can use fresh or frozen blackberries. If using fresh, be sure to rinse them first. I also double check my fresh blackberries for any that look too mushy or moldy. I find that blackberries are particularly prone to going moldy quickly.

Pink peppercorns

For this recipe, I used whole pink peppercorns so that we can extract their flavor and then easily strain them out of the liquid. I found my jar of peppercorns at my local grocery store, but I know they're also readily available on Amazon. I used the brand Frontier Co-op.

What does pink peppercorn taste like?

Pink pepper has an unusual flavor that's citrusy, zesty, and a little peppery. It's a much more mild flavor than black pepper and it's also a bit fruitier. If you use this syrup in a cocktail recipe, I highly recommend garnishing the drink with a little sprinkle of freshly ground pink pepper.

Grinding the peppercorns opens up a lot of their aroma and brings their flavor out in the drink. I use pink peppercorns as an example of how scent can influence taste in my Exploring Flavor in Cocktails and the Impact of Aroma.

Quick and easy stove top method

There are several ways to make syrups, but to quickly and efficiently extract flavor from our berries and peppercorns, we're going to cook this one.

To make the syrup, combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently to encourage the sugar to dissolve. Once all of the sugar has dissolved, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce and simmer for five to ten minutes. You'll know the syrup is done cooking when the berries begin to break down.

Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool before straining out the solids. Store your syrup in a glass jar or bottle in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Recipe variations

Pink peppercorn is great with just about any berry, particularly strawberries. Stone fruits like plums and apricots also pair nicely with pink pepper.

If you don't have pink peppercorns, there's really no direct substitute. However, you could make a tasty, although more spicy syrup with black peppercorns. Strawberry and black pepper are a wonderful flavor combination. I'd recommend starting with a small amount of black peppercorns to avoid overwhelming the syrup with their flavor.

You may also enjoy these other drink syrup recipes:

• Blackberry Simple Syrup
• Fresh Raspberry Simple Syrup
• Elderberry Syrup Recipe With or Without Honey