spicy strawberry mojito
A low-maintenance 4th of July drink while we mope about all this rain!
Happy 4th! I love a good rainy day, but this consistent drear is getting old at this point. Especially since the holiday is today and planning anything is nigh on impossible with the rapidly-fluctuating conditions. Grilling is always a nice pasttime, but is kinda impossible to do when the sky is peeing all over the coals.
Thankfully, cheerful cocktails exist, like this Spicy Strawberry Mojito, which can be sipped rain or shine, inside or outside, and bring a little gentle warmth to the day. Five minutes to a light and kicky drink that (if you’re like me, anyway) uses up some stray rum loitering in the liquor cabinet.
I dunno about you, but things colored as happily as this mojito give a cloudy day some cheer. And, it’s the long weekend! How bad can things be?
(Pretty shit, but let’s not get into that.)
Mo(ji)To(own)
I like using strawberry preserves to flavor this drink: a couple spoonfuls are more concentrated than the fruit itself, so more of the sweet taste trickles through the cocktail. Bonne Maman is my favorite brand.
But first, if you’d like a zesty tajin rim, brush around the lip of your favorite cocktail glass with a little honey. Honey makes the granules stick way better than citrus juice. Spread a couple tablespoons of tajin onto a shallow plate, then roll and dip your glass until coated. Shake off excess.
In a shaker, muddle the preserves, some basil leaves (not traditional, but I’m a fan of basil in lieu of mint since mint has been shitty around here lately?), honey, and lime juice. Use fresh juice, makes a big difference.
Measure in your rum and a couple jalapeño slices. Fill with ice and shake until cold. Strain or pour the contents into your prepared glass. I like to keep the muddled crap in my cup because it looks so appealing to me. Add more ice as needed, then top off with a splash of sparkling water.
Then, enjoy! Simple as that.
I hope your literal and proverbial skies are clear today and this weekend upcoming, and if they’re not, that the storms drift away quickly and let forth some glimmering sun. No doubt we all need some light within the hours.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Straw-buried:
Italian Strawberry Basil Margarita
Fresh Strawberry Green Tea Lemonade
spicy strawberry mojito
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp high-quality strawberry preserves
- 5-6 basil leaves
- 2 tsp honey (use to taste)
- 1/2 oz lime juice
- 2 oz silver rum
- 1-2 jalapeño slices
- sparkling water, to top
- tajin, for the rim
Instructions
- For the tajin rim, if desired: brush honey around the rim of a cocktail glass. Add 2 tablespoons tajin to a shallow plate, then roll and dip the glass into the granules. Shake off excess.
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the preserves, basil leaves, honey, and lime juice. Squish well with a cocktail muddler. Add the rum and jalapeño slices, then ice. Shake until cold. Strain or pour into your prepared cocktail glass and top with sparkling water.
- Garnish with mint and/or basil leaves and a few slices of strawberries, as desired.
