We're digging in to our selection of dark spirits for various winter cocktails this season. Check out our latest cocktail recipe, a blackberry rye smash, featuring the super smooth and delicious Dillon's Rye Whisky - made with pure rye grain – no barley, no wheat, and no corn. 

And of course we're using our latest cocktail rimmer Havana, infused with lime, mint, raw cane sugar, and of course - grapefruit zest to really bring out citrus and herbal notes to your cocktails.

What typically makes a drink a "smash" is how much alcohol there is compared to all the other ingredients. Usually with a spirit, simple syrup and something muddled, it's a super fun cocktail to create at home. So if you're feeling merry and want a nice citrus punch to your cocktails, this drink is for you!

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Dillon's Rye Whisky
• 1 oz fresh lemon juice
• ginger beer (or soda)
• fresh mint leaves
• fresh blackberries
• Havana cocktail rimmer 

Instructions:

1. Pour 1 tablespoon of Havana cocktail rimmer on a plate
2. Moisten the rim of your glass with a lime wedge and evenly dip your glass into rimmer
3. Break off a few sprigs of mint and muddle with blackberries, lime juice and 1 teaspoon of Havana cocktail rimmer in a cocktail shaker
4. Add rye and ice and shake for 30 seconds
5. Fill rimmed glass with ice and pour shaken mixture up to 3/4 of the glass, then top with ginger beer
6. Add mint leaves and lemon wedges for garnish (optional)

The best thing about this is you can use it both as a cocktail rimmer garnish or directly in your drink! Of course if you'd prefer, you can alway substitute our recipe with simple syrup or a sugar cube.

We also tried this delicious drink with Dillon's unfiltered gin. If you're the type that enjoys a lot of floral and herbal notes, that could be a great variation for you!

Have you tried our Havana cocktail rimmer yet? Tag us on Instagram with your cocktails at @saltypaloma.