Purple and Perfect for a Late-Night Sip

Ian Welby

As a rule of thumb, cocktails that combine multiple fruits and fruit flavors quickly tip into juice territory, forfeiting complex taste in favor of sweetness. In deft hands, however, a signature beverage can be fruit-forward but not saccharine. Bar Louie threads the needle with its Midnight Berry Martini. Blackberry syrup is combined with peach liqueur and vodka, plus pineapple juice for extra body. It’s garnished with fresh blackberries and rimmed in strawberry-lime salt for a finishing touch of sweetness and a tiny hint of sour. The end result is sweet, but not too sweet, with a deep violet hue and a bright pink rim that make it “perfect for a late-night drink,” says Ian Welby, VP of beverage and execution for the gastrobar chain. “The color and overall appearance of the martini are very appealing.”

Welby had originally envisioned the drink as a raspberry-peach combination but, after rotating through different combinations, found that blackberry-peach was not only the best but was especially unique in its flavor profile. In the year since the Midnight Berry debuted, it has become the third top-selling martini on the menu.

Read more Best of Flavor 2025