Blackberry Bliss

Summer is right around the corner and we’re excited for long sun-filled days full of mountain biking, hiking, SUP and maybe a little day drinking. I love fresh berries and mint is always so refreshing, so I combined the two into a mojito inspired vodka cocktail and I’m pretty happy with the results!

Blackberry_Bliss_vodka_mojito

Hello Summer fun!!!

Ingredients

Serves 2.

6-8 Blackberries
5 Large mint leaves
1 1/2-2 oz. simple syrup
1 whole lime, cut into 6 wedges
3-4 oz. vodka
club soda
ice

Instructions

1. Using a handheld blender puree the blackberries, mint and simple syrup.

2. Prepare a quart size mason jar by squeezing the juice from the lime wedges into your jar and then toss the wedges in too. Add the vodka, puree and ice. Give it a quick stir and top it with soda water…. if you don’t want to share just divide the ingredients into two pint glasses. This is just as delicious without the vodka too.

3. Enjoy at the park….or on your patio. This recipe is easy to scale up if you’re having a backyard BBQ and want a fun refreshing cocktail that isn’t too sweet.

Sugar! Sugar! Sugar!

Bring on the sugar overload! Here are some of my favorite tropical rum drink recipes from around the Caribbean. Enjoy!

 

The Painkiller (made famous at the Soggy Dollar Bar; Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands)

4 parts pineapple juice

1 part Coco Lopez

1 part orange juice

2-4 parts Cruzan or Pussers rum

Ice

fresh grated nutmeg

Instructions

Build over ice, shake it like you mean it, and garnish with fresh nutmeg.

The Mojito (made famous at La Bodeguita del Medio, a bar frequented by Ernest Hemingway; Cuba)

2 oz. light rum (Flor de Caña 7 Year is also delicious)

½ lime cut into thirds

1 tablespoon sugar

Soda water

6 mint leaves

Ice

Instructions

Muddle mint, lime and sugar in a pint glass with ice. Add rum, extra ice if needed and then top with soda and stir gently. Garnish with a mint sprig.

The Panty Ripper (Caye Caulker, Belize)

2 parts Old Master Coconut Rum

4 parts pineapple juice

Ice

Instructions

Pour over ice in a girly glass.

Ron y Piña (Roatan, Honduras and beyond)

Flor de Caña 4 Year rum

pineapple juice

Ice

Instructions

Pour over ice in whatever portions you like.

Ron y Agua (Roatan, Honduras)

1 part Flor de Cana 7 Year

1 part water

slice of lime

Ice

Instructions

Drink like you’ve been there awhile and hydrate while you dehydrate….pour over ice and garnish with a squeeze of lime.

Rum Punch (My version, based on many years of swilling rum drinks)

3 parts Caribbean rum

2 parts pineapple juice

2 parts mango juice

2 parts orange juice

2 slices of lime squeezed

Ice

Instructions

Pour juice and rum into tall glass, squeeze limes into cocktail and stir…or shake if you have a Boston shaker.

Note: I like to add a little club soda to mine so it isn’t so sweet.