Blackberry Mojito

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/5/23
Tested by
Laurel Randolph
Photo of Laurel Randolph
Tested by Laurel Randolph
A fervid lover of the culinary arts and all things Instant Pot, Laurel has been writing about food for 10 years. One of her cookbooks was the #2 cookbook of 2017.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Blackberry Mojito in a glass

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 5 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

The mojito is a rum cocktail that originated in Cuba made of rum, lime, mint, sugar, and club soda. It's a cool, crisp, and refreshing drink that's perfect for summer. Adding fresh blackberries gives the original drink a fun twist, and this blackberry mojito recipe is incredibly easy to make.

The blackberry mojito is a great way to use fresh blackberries and mint at the peak of the summer season. The berry's sweet-tart flavor is an absolute delight against the mojito's minty-lime taste, and the muddled berries give the drink a captivating deep red color.

This tasty blackberry cocktail can easily become a favorite mojito variation to enjoy all summer. Mix one up for yourself or fix a round for friends. It's easy to double or triple the recipe, and skipping the rum creates a fabulous mocktail that everyone will enjoy.

"A simple but delicious twist on the classic mojito. Blackberry pairs perfectly with lime, making this a refreshing summer cocktail. If you don't have superfine sugar, use regular sugar and muddle a little longer to help it dissolve." —Laurel Randolph

blackberry mojito/tester image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 medium lime

  • 6 fresh blackberries, plus more for garnish

  • 6 to 8 torn fresh mint leaves, plus sprigs for garnish

  • 2 teaspoons superfine sugar

  • 2 ounces light rum

  • 2 to 3 ounces club soda

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Blackberry Mojito ingredients

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Cut 1 wheel from the lime and set aside for garnish. Slice the remainder into wedges for muddling.

    Limes sliced on a cutting board

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  3. In a double old-fashioned glass or tumbler, add 6 blackberries along with the torn mint leaves, lime wedges, and sugar. Muddle well to mash the fruits and dissolve the sugar.

    Blackberries, torn mint leaves, lime wedges, and sugar muddled together in a glass

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Add the rum.

    Rum added to the berry mixture in the glass

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Fill the glass with ice cubes and top with club soda.

    Blackberry Mojito in a glass

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Garnish with a few blackberries, the lime wheel, a sprig of fresh mint, and serve.

    Blackberry Mojito garnished with a lime wedge and mint

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Tips

  • Muddling is the bartending technique of mashing fruits, herbs, and other fresh produce with a muddler to release their flavors. It's often done with sugar or a splash of liquid before the liquor and other ingredients are added to the drink. If you don't have a muddler, a spoon will work, though it's not quite as efficient.
  • Blackberries will stain wood and other porous surfaces. If possible, avoid using a wood muddler for this drink or wash it immediately with warm, soapy water.
  • Light rum is the most common choice for any mojito. Aged rum adds a darker, oaky foundation that pairs well with this recipe's blackberries. No matter which style you choose, the best rum for a mojito is mid- to top-shelf, preferably one that you enjoy drinking on its own or in other cocktails.
  • Make two or three drinks at once by lining up the glasses and working your way down the line as you complete each step.

Recipe Variations

  • Double up on the blackberry flavor by adding 1/2 ounce of crème de mûre or another blackberry liqueur. If you don't have fresh blackberries, pour a full ounce of the berry liqueur.
  • Switch from rum to vodka if that's your liquor of choice. Flavored vodkas are fun in this mojito as well; blackberry pairs well with other berries, peach, and vanilla.
  • To make a pitcher of mojitos, it's easiest to use a mint simple syrup and lime juice. Mash a cup or so of blackberries in the pitcher, then add 1 1/2 cups light rum, 1 to 1 1/2 cups each of mint syrup and fresh lime juice, and about 2 cups of club soda.
  • For a nonalcoholic blackberry mojito, skip the rum and add more soda. Switch to a sweeter soda, such as ginger ale, if you like.

How Strong Is a Blackberry Mojito?

Muddling blackberries adds a lot of juice to the cocktail, and that keeps the alcohol content in check. On average, with an 80-proof rum, this blackberry mojito should be in the 11 percent alcohol by volume (ABV, 22 proof) range. That's normal for a mojito and similar to drinking a glass of wine.

What Can You Use Instead of Mint in a Mojito?

Blackberries don't pair well with other types of herbs, so mint really is your best option in a blackberry mojito. If you need to preserve fresh mint before it wilts, capture its cool taste in a mint syrup. It will keep in the fridge for several weeks, if not longer.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
201 Calories
0g Fat
20g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 201
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 4mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 20g 7%
Dietary Fiber 4g 16%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 29mg 146%
Calcium 50mg 4%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 149mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)