Capture the taste of summer in a fresh blueberry mojito cocktail. Easy to make from scratch, it’s a spectacular twist on the original mojito with blueberries adding their sweet juiciness to the refreshing combination of lime, mint, and rum. They also give this simple rum drink a beautiful purplish-blue color that makes it even more irresistible.
The Key Ingredients for a Perfect Blueberry Mojito
To make this drink, the berries are first mashed with sugar and lime, then the mint is added and muddled just enough to infuse the sweet-tart juice with its cooling flavor. Add rum, ice, and club soda, and you’ll have a fantastic blueberry cocktail to enjoy. Here are the details about the ingredients you will need:
- Blueberries: Choose fresh ripe blueberries that are not soft or damaged. If blueberries aren’t in season, frozen blueberries work very well. Let them thaw partially so they’re easy to muddle, and use about 1/4 cup per drink.
- Superfine sugar: Superfine sugar is just what it sounds like—very fine sugar that dissolves quickly, making it great for cocktails. Look for it with the regular sugar at the grocery store. If you can’t find it you can make homemade superfine sugar.
- Lime juice: Freshly squeezed lime juice will make for the tastiest mojito, so pass on the bottled stuff for this recipe.
- Fresh mint: Choose fresh mint leaves without bruising, brown spots, or wilting, and store it in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
- Light rum or other alcohol: Light rum is traditional for mojitos because its relatively mild flavor lets the lime and mint take center stage. Complement those fresh flavors with a mid-range or top-shelf rum that you would drink on its own. If you want to try other rums, aged rum adds a nice depth, and mango rum is a fantastic choice for the blueberry mojito—the two flavors really complement each other. If rum isn’t your liquor of choice, vodka is a good substitute.
- Garnishes: A fresh mint sprig and lime slices complete the pretty picture.
Do You Shake a Mojito?
Mojitos are typically not shaken. The drink’s various flavors are married by muddling and stirring, and the soda and ice soften the taste with a perfect amount of dilution. Some people prefer to give the mojito a quick shake, particularly if they enjoy it strained. When doing so, shake everything except the soda and strain the cocktail over fresh ice because the shaker ice will melt more quickly in the glass.
How to Muddle the Berries and Mint
Muddling herbs like mint releases their essential oils, while muddling the blueberries helps extract their juice. Blueberries can stain porous materials, so consider opting for a metal or plastic muddler rather than wood. If you don’t have a muddler, a large spoon is a good alternative.
How to Scale Up Your Blueberry Mojitos for a Party
The recipe makes one mojito, though it’s easy to make a few at once. Like many muddled cocktails, that’s as simple as lining up a few glasses, then working your way through each step: muddle down the line, pour rum and stir, then fill each with ice and soda, and garnish. Or, you could prepare a whole pitcher of blueberry mojitos that’s ready to pour and serve; we’ll show you how below the main recipe.
“I have to admit I am not usually a fan of ‘flavored’ cocktails. But in this recipe the ratios of a mojito change because of the blueberry’s sweetness and thankfully so. This blueberry mojito is balanced and perfect for a cocktail to enjoy on a porch.” —Sean Johnson
A Note From Our Recipe Tester
Ingredients
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6 to 8 fresh blueberries, plus more for garnish
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1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
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2 teaspoons superfine sugar
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6 to 8 fresh mint leaves
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2 ounces light rum
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2 to 3 ounces club soda, to taste
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Fresh mint sprig, for garnish
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Lime slice, for garnish
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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In a collins glass, add 6 to 8 blueberries along with the lime juice and sugar. Muddle well to break up the berries and dissolve the sugar. Tear the mint leaves while adding them to the glass and muddle gently to release the mint’s essence.
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Add the rum, and stir well.
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Fill the glass with ice cubes and top with club soda.
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Garnish with a few blueberries, a sprig of mint, and a lime slice. Serve and enjoy.
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Mojito Pitcher Recipe
For a pitcher of blueberry mojitos, increase the ingredients in proportion to the number of desired servings. Mix the muddled ingredients in a large glass, then transfer to a pitcher, stir in the rum, and keep chilled. Add chilled club soda just before serving and pour into ice-filled glasses.
Recipe Variations
- Mojito with simple syrup: Preserve the taste of fresh mint before it wilts by making a mint simple syrup. Replace the recipe’s mint and sugar with about 1/2 ounce of the syrup, adjusting to taste.
- Nonalcoholic blueberry mojito: Turn this drink into a mocktail by skipping the rum and adding more club soda. You can also switch to your favorite light soda (ginger ale is excellent) or substitute the rum and lime juice with limeade.
- Strained mojito: Some people prefer to drink mojitos without mint and fruit in the glass. To do this, mix the fruits and rum in a cocktail shaker or mixing glass, then strain it into the serving glass and finish it with ice and soda.
How Strong Is a Blueberry Mojito?
Mojitos have a moderate amount of alcohol because the nonalcoholic mixers outweigh the rum. When made with an 80-proof rum, the blueberry mojito mixes up to about 11 percent alcohol by volume (ABV, 22 proof). That’s similar to drinking a glass of wine.
