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.
July is National Berry Month and the peak season for all sorts of berries. So it’s the perfect time to explore cooking with more berries. All through the month of July, look to The Bubbly Girl for cocktail 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 residue from pesticides. You can enjoy this drink two ways: as a non-alcoholic faux-jito with sparkling water or a sparkling cocktail flavored with a little Chambord black raspberry liqueur and brut sparkling wine for those who do. I removed the rum to keep it light, though you can certainly add a splash of your favorite white rum if you like.
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 gentlysmashed with a tool called a muddler so they release their juices 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 plastic or metal, which is 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 (maybe berry or lime flavored?)
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.
Note: If you’re skipping sugar, swap the Homemade Sour Mix for juice from 1/2 lime and stevia.
