Raspberries, white cherries and blueberries make this Red, White & Blue Mojito perfect for 4th of July barbecues and picnics and all summer long. (Photo by Maria Hunt)
Summer is here and it’s the time for refreshing and light cocktails. Nothing says that more to me than juicy summer fruit like raspberries, blueberries and cherries.
With July being National Berry Month and the peak season for all sorts of berries, its make a perfect time to explore making cocktails with them – so I am. All through the month of July, look to The Bubbly Girl for drink and food recipes using fresh berries.
With the 4th of July approaching, I created this Red, White & Blue Mojito with raspberries, white cherries and blueberries. Look for organic berries – Driscoll’s organic berries can be found at many grocery stores – as berries can absorb chemical residues from pesticides. This light cocktail doesn’t use rum – though you can certainly add a splash of your favorite white rum if you must. Instead I designed this drink to either be a non-alcoholic faux-jito with sparkling water for people who don’t drink or as a sparkling cocktail flavored with a little Chambord black raspberry liqueur and brut sparkling wine for those who do. A splash of Homemade Sour Mix – one of the recipes from my sparkling cocktail book The Bubbly Bar available on Amazon.com – adds brightness.
This berries, cherries and mint in this cocktail are muddled, meaning they’re gently smashed with a tool called a muddler until they release their juice and fragrant oils. I love my wooden muddler that a friend brought me from Brazil years ago, but many of the newer muddlers are made from a combination of plastic and metal because they’re easier to clean. When muddling, be sure to choose a sturdy glass like this vintage style tumbler from Anthropologie stores or the glass from a cocktail shaker.
Red, White & Blue Mojito
Makes 1 cocktail
3 red raspberries
2 white cherries, pitted and halved (or 3 golden raspberries in season)
4 blueberries
4 fresh mint leaves
1 ounce Homemade Sour Mix (See Recipes Page)
NEXT ADD EITHER:
4 ounces sparkling water
OR
3/4 ounce Chambord black raspberry liqueur
3 to 4 ounces brut or extra dry sparkling wine
berries and mint for garnish
Add the raspberries, white cherries (or golden raspberries) blueberries and mint to a sturdy glass. Slowly smash the fruit and herbs with the muddler until you have a juicy and fragrant pulp in the bottom of the glass. Add the sour mix and fill the glass 3/4 full with crushed ice. For the faux-jito, top with the sparkling water and stir gently. Or if you want a drink with alcohol, add the Chambord and then top with the sparkling wine and stir gently. Garnish with a combination of berries and mint.
Tags: 4th of July cocktail, berries, blueberries, Chambord, cherries, mojito, non-alcoholic, raspberries, red-white-blue mojito, The Bubbly Bar
Mouth watering!!!