The mojito is a rum cocktail that originated in Cuba made of rum, lime, mint, sugar, and club soda. It’s a cool, crisp, and refreshing drink that’s perfect for summer. Adding fresh blackberries gives the original drink a fun twist, and this blackberry mojito recipe is incredibly easy to make.
The blackberry mojito is a great way to use fresh blackberries and mint at the peak of the summer season. The berry's sweet-tart flavor is an absolute delight against the mojito's minty-lime taste, and the muddled berries give the drink a captivating deep red color.
This tasty blackberry cocktail can easily become a favorite mojito variation to enjoy all summer. Mix one up for yourself or fix a round for friends. It’s easy to double or triple the recipe, and skipping the rum creates a fabulous mocktail that everyone will enjoy.
“A simple but delicious twist on the classic mojito. Blackberry pairs perfectly with lime, making this a refreshing summer cocktail. If you don’t have superfine sugar, use regular sugar and muddle a little longer to help it dissolve.” —Laurel Randolph
A Note From Our Recipe Tester
Ingredients
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1 medium lime
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6 fresh blackberries, plus more for garnish
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6 to 8 torn fresh mint leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
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2 teaspoons superfine sugar
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2 ounces light rum
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2 to 3 ounces club soda
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
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Cut 1 wheel from the lime and set aside for garnish. Slice the remainder into wedges for muddling.
The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
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In a double old-fashioned glass or tumbler, add 6 blackberries along with the torn mint leaves, lime wedges, and sugar. Muddle well to mash the fruits and dissolve the sugar.
The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
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Add the rum.
The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
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Fill the glass with ice cubes and top with club soda.
The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
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Garnish with a few blackberries, the lime wheel, a sprig of fresh mint, and serve.
The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
Tips
- Muddling is the bartending technique of mashing fruits, herbs, and other fresh produce with a muddler to release their flavors. It’s often done with sugar or a splash of liquid before the liquor and other ingredients are added to the drink. If you don’t have a muddler, a spoon will work, though it’s not quite as efficient.
- Blackberries will stain wood and other porous surfaces. If possible, avoid using a wood muddler for this drink or wash it immediately with warm, soapy water.
- Light rum is the most common choice for any mojito. Aged rum adds a darker, oaky foundation that pairs well with this recipe’s blackberries. No matter which style you choose, the best rum for a mojito is mid- to top-shelf, preferably one that you enjoy drinking on its own or in other cocktails.
- Make two or three drinks at once by lining up the glasses and working your way down the line as you complete each step.
Recipe Variations
- Double up on the blackberry flavor by adding 1/2 ounce of crème de mûre or another blackberry liqueur. If you don’t have fresh blackberries, pour a full ounce of the berry liqueur.
- Switch from rum to vodka if that’s your liquor of choice. Flavored vodkas are fun in this mojito as well; blackberry pairs well with other berries, peach, and vanilla.
- To make a pitcher of mojitos, it’s easiest to use a mint simple syrup and lime juice. Mash a cup or so of blackberries in the pitcher, then add 1 1/2 cups light rum, 1 to 1 1/2 cups each of mint syrup and fresh lime juice, and about 2 cups of club soda.
- For a nonalcoholic blackberry mojito, skip the rum and add more soda. Switch to a sweeter soda, such as ginger ale, if you like.
How Strong Is a Blackberry Mojito?
Muddling blackberries adds a lot of juice to the cocktail, and that keeps the alcohol content in check. On average, with an 80-proof rum, this blackberry mojito should be in the 11 percent alcohol by volume (ABV, 22 proof) range. That’s normal for a mojito and similar to drinking a glass of wine.
What Can You Use Instead of Mint in a Mojito?
Blackberries don’t pair well with other types of herbs, so mint really is your best option in a blackberry mojito. If you need to preserve fresh mint before it wilts, capture its cool taste in a mint syrup. It will keep in the fridge for several weeks, if not longer.
