Blackberry Mojito

With its vibrant purple color, the Blackberry Mojito is a refreshing summer cocktail combining the fresh flavors of mint, zesty lime and sweet rum with the tartness of fresh blackberries. It is a delicious choice for beating the heat and enjoying the season’s abundant fruits.

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Blackberry Mojito recipe

Move over, Dirty Shirley and Corona Sunrise. The Blackberry Mojito might just take over this summer. (I don’t know about you, but I think it’s going to be my new favorite cocktail, anyway.)

This fruity spin on the classic mojito cocktail is a feast for the senses. Zesty, tart and fresh, it is bursting with flavor from fresh blackberries, cool mint and tart lime.

Bursting with blackberry flavor, this mojito isn’t just a treat for your taste buds — it’s eye candy too. The deep, jewel-toned purple color from the blackberries mingles with vibrant green mint leaves. It’s a stunning cocktail that is sure to impress.

Whether you’re an avid cocktail enthusiast or a beginner home bartender, the Blackberry Mojito is an absolute crowd-pleaser that’s here to make your summer gatherings unforgettable.

More rum cocktails: Classic Daiquiri • Fish Bowl • Hurricane • Cuba Libre

Why you’ll love this recipe

• It is bursting with flavor, thanks to the delightful combination of fresh mint, tart blackberries, zing from lime juice and a hint of sweetness from simple syrup.
•  This simple recipe is great for beginning cocktail mixologists and advanced ones alike.
•  During the hot summer months, the coolness of the mint contributes to this refreshing, thirst-quenching drink.

Whether you’re hosting a backyard barbecue, lounging by the pool or enjoying a relaxing evening at home, this cocktail adds a touch of elegance and beauty to any setting.

What is a mojito?

The classic mojito is a delicious cocktail starring a few simple ingredients: rum, sugar, lime juice, mint leaves and club soda.

It is a refreshing cocktail that’s equal parts sweet, sour and herbaceous. Its flavor can easily be modified by using flavored simple syrups or by muddling other fruits, as we do in this refreshing blackberry mojito. 

Mojitos are a Cuban cocktail, though the exact origin is unknown. According to Difford’s Guide, some version of the recipe can be traced back to 1586 when Sir Frances Drake “visited” Cuba. He was there to steal gold, and never did, though he did leave behind a drink recipe of crude rum, sugar, lime and mint.

Today, the mojito is a recurring character at bars, brunches, parties and girls’ nights. It is the perfect summer refresher.

Tools & glassware

To make a mojito, you will need a good muddler. This is a stick-shaped tool that is used to mash the fruits and herbs together. If you don’t have one, you can use the blunt end of a wooden spoon.

Feel free to make the cocktail right in the glass. However, if you like a smooth cocktail — without bits of blackberry seeds and herbs floating about, — muddle the drink in a cocktail shaker or in a mixing glass, then strain the drink into a cocktail glass with a small fine-mesh strainer.

Serve up the mojito in a highball glass, a skinny, tall glass perfect for highlighting this drink’s vibrant colors.

Ingredients

The Blackberry Mojito is a simple cocktail to make. You only need a few simple and fresh ingredients from the grocery store and liquor store. Here’s what to add to your shopping list:

Blackberries

Let’s start with the blackberries! The addition of blackberries adds a fruity twist to the classic mojito recipe.

Grab the freshest, juiciest blackberries you can find. Ideally, from the farmers’ market to support a local grower — especially in the summer season. These are going to add the most flavorful blackberry juice of all. Be sure to wash them well before using.

You can use frozen blackberries instead, but you’ll want them to thaw before muddling them. This is a great option if you want to make this mojito in the off-season.

Fresh mint

Mint is the heart of the mojito, so don’t skimp. Fresh mint often comes in clear, plastic clamshell boxes at the grocery store with just a few sprigs. To make a big batch of mojitos (and maybe some mint juleps too), check if your store carries it in a big bundle. Usually, it is near the salad greens if they have it.

Sweetener

Next up is the sugary element. I recommend making your own simple syrup with water and granulated sugar. My recipe is ready in less than 10 minutes and has just two ingredients, and it’s much cheaper than buying it.

You can make mint simple syrup for a more robust minty flavor — just add a few sprigs of mint after it boils and let it steep as it cools. Then remove the leaves before storing them.

You can also use pure cane sugar in your mojito, but it will take longer to dissolve and more elbow grease as you muddle.

Lime juice

Lime juice is vital for a mojito, ideally juiced from fresh limes. Alternatively, you can muddle lime wedges instead of using lime juice, but then later you’ll need to fish out the spent shells, which can get messy, so this is not my preferred method. 

While store-bought lime juice is great in a pinch, it’s not the wisest to use in a mojito where lime is one of the star players. Concentrated lime juice tends to be more tart than sweet, so it can be cloying in a cocktail. Instead, see if your grocery store sells pre-squeezed, fresh lime juice.

It’ll still taste great if you use the bottled lime juice concentrate, but if you have time to squeeze some limes, it will be all the better for the extra effort! I usually use a citrus squeezer to juice my limes. If I plan to make many cocktails, I use my electric citrus juicer.

Club soda

A few bubbles from soda water gives the drink a lighter body and more volume. You don’t need more than a splash.

This part can be optional, but it gives the mojito a bit of brightness and the bubbles help it taste even more refreshing.

Lemon-lime soda or ginger ale will be too sweet, so stick to seltzer water. 

White rum

The traditional mojito calls for rum for its alcoholic element. Because it is clear-colored, white rum (AKA silver rum or light rum) is the best choice. A dark rum like gold rum or spiced rum will add too much color, but they are fine to use.

White rum is light, crisp and great for mixing into drinks like the rum & coke as well as the mojito. 

Bacardi is the most popular brand of white rum, but Mount Gay is another solid choice for this perfect summer drink. 

Check out Rum 101 for a crash course on this spirit, the top brands to buy and what else you can make with it.

Variations and substitutions

Here are a few ways you can mix up these summer cocktails in new ways:

• Other berry mojitos: Make the mojito with fresh strawberries, blueberries or a combination of berries instead of blackberries to have fun with flavors.
•  Blackberry basil mojito: Use basil instead of mint to make a delicious twist on this drink. Try it with basil syrup or muddle fresh basil leaves.
•  Non-alcoholic mojito: Make this a virgin mojito by substituting a zero-proof spirit such as Ritual rum alternative. You can also simply omit the rum.
•  Frozen blackberry mojito: Throw all the ingredients in the blender with 2 cups ice to make a frozen treat.

Or try making blackberry mojito popsicles for a delicious summer treat!

How to make a Blackberry Mojito

This delicious Blackberry Mojito recipe is super simple to put together. Here’s what to do:

Place the blackberries (about 5 or 6) and mint leaves into a highball glass with your simple syrup.

Use a muddler to mash and squish the berries. This releases the oils of the mint leaves and the juices of the berries.

Top with ice cubes, filling the glass all the way. Add the lime juice and rum.

Top with club soda. And then give it a gentle stir.

Garnish with a straw, some more blackberries, a lime wedge and a mint sprig.

No muddler? Hack your cocktail with the end of a wooden spoon or even a regular metal spoon. Press just hard enough to release the mint essential oils from the leaves.

Tips & tricks

Use fresh berries if you can, especially when they are at their peak. In the winter, frozen berries will carry the best flavor. You can also use a blackberry syrup.

If you don’t have a muddler, use the blunt end of a wooden spoon.

If you don’t like chunks of fruit in your cocktail, make the drink in a shaker or mixing glass, then strain into your drinking glass.

What to serve with Blackberry Mojitos

Anything fruity would be delicious with a blackberry mojito!

Try it with anything citrus, like margarita bars, or something with berries like berry cobbler or blackberry dump cake.

Blackberries are great with peaches, so try this drink with baked peaches.

Ginger is another great flavor for berries, so try this drink with ginger ale cake or Moscow mule cookies.

FAQ

More mojito recipes

• Mango Mojito
•  Lemon Mojito
• Kombucha Mojito
• Mojito Jello Shots