Blackberry-Ginger Mojitos

It all started with these blackberries that I bought last week at the farmers market.  They were so fresh and plump and juicy and sweet and I just had to come up with a plan for them.

I didn't want to spend too much time thinking about what to do with them, I just wanted to do something uncomplicated.  Something that we could all enjoy in a matter of minutes.

I recently went out to dinner with some friends. My friend, Gayle, was telling us about her recent trip to Puerto Rico, and how she got so used to drinking mojitos that now her husband has been making them for her.  

I don't know why Gayle's description of muddling mint leaves popped into my head when I was trying to figure out what to do with my blackberries, but muddling blackberries suddenly became my mission.

I don't know if this is truly a mojito-- the only classic mojito ingredients I used are mint leaves and rum.  And lots of ice.  I decided to skip the soda water and sugar and just use ginger ale.  And then instead of lime I added a little bit of fresh ginger to give some zing...but the incredibly sweet, juicy blackberries still shone through!

Today's Playlist

• "Everybody Talks"...Neon Trees
• "What I Got"...Sublime
• "Troublemaker"...Weezer
• "In One Ear"...Cage The Elephant
• "Come Out And Play"...Offspring
• "Just Like Heaven"...The Cure
• "Little Bird"...The White Stripes
• "Here Comes The Sun"...The Beatles
• "Somewhere Only We Know"...Keane

Blackberry-Ginger Mojitos (serves 2)

printable recipe

• 16 fresh mint leaves, washed and dried
• 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
• 14 fresh blackberries, washed (fresh-picked or from the farmers market are best!)
• 2 ounces white rum
• 12-oz bottle of ginger ale

serve over ice

Gather your ingredients.

Grate the ginger.  If you don't have a grater, mincing it finely will do!

Place six blackberries in each glass.

Add six mint leaves to each glass.

Then add a half-teaspoon of grated ginger to each glass.

Now muddle!  As you can see, I don't have a fancy muddler.  I use a measuring spoon that's a good size for muddling.  The back of any spoon will do.

You don't want a pulpy, mushy mess, just gently press on the ginger and mint leaves to release their essence, and the juice will proceed to burst out of the blackberries.

Add one ounce of rum to each glass, along with a handful of ice.

Pour in the ginger ale and stir.

Garnish with extra mint leaves and a blackberry.

Enjoy!