BLUEBERRY LEMON AND CUCUMBER GIN MOJITOS

I hope you guys aren’t getting sick of collaborative content, because today’s post is a collaboration with a good blogging chum of mine, Dana over at  Killing Thyme. Dana’s blog may sound familiar because I’ve mentioned it a few times here at JustineCelina! Dana and I met last year through The Food Bloggers of Canada and you could say we became fast blogging friends — we clicked right away. I love Dana’s zest for life that’s wildly apparent in her content, her voice and authenticity, her generosity, and of course, her fantastic recipes and culinary knowledge! You see, Dana has been at this whole blogging thing a lot longer than I have and she’s always been so supportive of what I’m doing. In short, she’s a an absolute gem and I’m sure you’ll love her content and her blog just as much as I do! Pop over to check out my guest post and grab the recipe for my Blueberry Lemon and Cucumber Gin Mojitos.

So, when she asked if I’d be up for a guest post on her site, I jumped at the opportunity! You see, we both love a great cocktail, so I knew my Blueberry Lemon and Cucumber Gin Mojitos would be a perfect fit! They combine sweet blueberries with refreshing lemon, cucumber and mint with a healthy dose of gin and a splash of soda water for just the right amount of sparkle. These late summer sipper are free of refined sugars and made with all natural ingredients — so the next time you’re craving a cooling summer cocktail, indulge yourself with a fresh twist on the classic mojito! Cheers to sharing the love, to new blogs and new friends!

BLUEBERRY LEMON AND CUCUMBER GIN MOJITOS

It’s funny — I haven’t always been a gin fan. In fact, I’ve only come to enjoy the taste of gin this summer. When I was a teenager, my Mom’s drink of choice was a simple gin and tonic. Well, it turns out that a gin and tonic on the rocks and a glass of ice water look exactly the same — that is until you gulp it down, only to realize that your ice water is actually your Mom’s gin and tonic! We had a few good laughs and eventually stopped using the same glasses, but needless to say I’ve only recently acquired a taste for gin as an adult.

This recipe came about organically, as most of my recipes do. During my last visit to my childhood home in rural Alberta this summer, I volunteered as bartender. My Mom, of course, requested a gin cocktail. She knows I love to experiment with cocktails and usually enjoys whatever I whip up, so I happily went to work.

In the fridge, I found lots of fresh lemons, along with a gorgeous bunch of mint and some cucumbers. I immediately thought of a gin based, mojito-style cocktail. There were also some fresh blueberries set out for snacking right next to where I was playing mixologist, so I decided to muddle a few in with the other ingredients. I took a sip to test my creation and I was shocked at how much I liked it — gin and all! So, I decided to make one for myself with a few tweaks and that was how this Blueberry Lemon and Cucumber Gin Mojito recipe was conceived.

I’ve been blueberry crazy this summer! We’re coming to the end of blueberry season in North America and I’ve been experimenting with different ways to preserve them to make the magic last. What I came up with is a blueberry simple syrup made from honey, rather that traditional white sugar. I’m all about making healthier, more natural substitutions in my cooking and baking — and yes, even in my cocktails. To be honest, we don’t even keep white sugar in our pantry! My Blueberry Honey Syrup adds so much flavour and a lovely purple hue to these cocktails.

Another thing I like to do is incorporate edible flowers into my recipes whenever I can — I’m enamoured with FLOWERS and blog about them frequently! I foraged these pansies from my Mom’s garden and love the fun pops of colour and cheerful feeling they add to the cocktail. If you want to get creative and make these Blueberry Lemon and Cucumber Gin Mojitos really pretty, you can experiment with freezing edible flowers into ice cubes to preserve them, or simply use them to garnish your cocktail.

Flowers (edible or otherwise) are an inexpensive, thoughtful way to elevate your libations or parties — and they’re one of my not so secret weapons, especially when I’m entertaining.

Ingredients

BLUEBERRY LEMON AND CUCUMBER GIN MOJITOS

Serves 1

• 1.5oz Blueberry Honey Syrup (recipe to follow)
• 2 oz of gin
• Juice from half a lemon
• 5 leaves fresh mint
• 5 slices of cucumber
• Soda water

OPTIONAL GARNISH

• Sliced cucumbers
• Sliced lemon
• Blueberries
• Sprig of mint
• Edible flowers (I used pansies)

BLUEBERRY HONEY SYRUP

Yield: Approximately 2 – 2 1/4 cups (16 – 18 oz)

• 4 cups fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup honey
• Juice from half a lemon

Instructions

1. If you’re making floral ice cubes, begin by sourcing your flowers, washing them and dropping them into the ice cube trays to freeze. You really can’t mess this up — so experiment with different flower placements within each cube and have fun with it!

2. Start on your Blueberry Honey Syrup. Add blueberries and water to a medium sauce pan over low heat. The blueberries will begin to break down quickly — help them along by pressing them with a potato masher to aid in extracting the juices. Simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Strain the blueberry juice into a heatproof bowl, using the potato masher press the juice through the strainer. Reserve the juice for the Blueberry Honey Syrup and discard the skins.

4. Add the blueberry juice and honey back to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and allow to thicken for 10 minutes.

5. Turn off the burner. Add the juice from half a lemon to your saucepan, stirring until incorporated. Allow your Blueberry Honey Syrup to cool before using it in the Blueberry Lemon and Cucumber Gin Mojitos.

Note: My Blueberry Honey Syrup also freezes very well if you’d like to save half a batch for later!

6. Begin assembling your cocktail by adding lemon juice, mint and cucumber to a cocktail shaker and muddling them together with a pestle. Add Blueberry Honey Syrup and a few ice cubes. Shake vigorously until the cocktail shaker becomes cold.

7. Add the contents of the cocktail shaker to your glass along with your gin. Pour soda water overtop to fill your glass to the desired level.

8. Garnish your Blueberry Lemon and Cucumber Gin Mojito with a slice of lemon and a few blueberries on a cocktail skewer.

9. Add a sprig of mint, or a few more edible flowers and enjoy!

Print

BLUEBERRY LEMON AND CUCUMBER GIN MOJITOS

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Rest Time

30 mins

Total Time

50 mins

 

My Blueberry Lemon and Cucumber Gin Mojitos combine sweet blueberries with refreshing lemon, cucumber and mint. A healthy dose of gin unites the flavour profiles of these late summer sippers and a splash of soda water adds just the right amount of sparkle. My gin mojitos are free of refined sugars and made with all natural ingredients — so the next time you’re craving a cooling summer cocktail, indulge yourself with a fresh twist on the classic mojito!

Course: Drinks

Servings: 1

Author: Justine

Ingredients

BLUEBERRY LEMON AND CUCUMBER GIN MOJITOS

• 1.5 oz Blueberry Honey Syrup recipe to follow
• 2 oz of gin
• Juice from half a lemon
• 5 leaves fresh mint
• 5 slices of cucumber
• Soda water

OPTIONAL GARNISH

• Sliced cucumbers
• Sliced lemon
• Blueberries
• Sprig of mint
• Edible flowers I used pansies

BLUEBERRY HONEY SYRUP (Yield: Approximately 2 - 2 1/4 cups, or 16 - 18 oz)

• 4 cups fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup honey
• Juice from half a lemon

Instructions

1. If you’re making floral ice cubes, begin by sourcing your flowers, washing them and dropping them into the ice cube trays to freeze. You really can’t mess this up — so experiment with different flower place- ments within each cube and have fun with it!

2. Start on your Blueberry Honey Syrup. Add blueberries and water to a medium sauce pan over low heat. The blueberries will begin to break down quickly — help them along by pressing them with a potato masher to aid in extracting the juices. Simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Strain the blueberry juice into a heatproof bowl, using the potato masher press the juice through the strainer. Reserve the juice for the Blueberry Honey Syrup and discard the skins.

4. Add the blueberry juice and honey back to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and allow to thicken for 10 minutes.

5. Turn off the burner. Add the juice from half a lemon to your saucepan, stirring until incorporated. Allow your Blueberry Honey Syrup to cool before using it in the Blueberry Lemon and Cucumber Gin Mojitos.

6. Begin assembling your cocktail by adding lemon juice, mint and cucumber to a cocktail shaker and muddling them together with a pestle. Add Blueberry Honey Syrup and a few ice cubes. Shake vigorously until the cocktail shaker becomes cold

7. Add the contents of the cocktail shaker to your glass along with your gin. Pour soda water overtop to fill your glass to the desired level.

8. Garnish your Blueberry Lemon and Cucumber Gin Mojito with a slice of lemon and a few blueberries on a cocktail skewer.

9. Add a sprig of mint, or a few more edible flowers and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

My Blueberry Honey Syrup also freezes very well if you’d like to save half a batch for later!

CARE FOR ANOTHER ROUND?

Rosé Lychee Elderflower Sangria

Sparkling Pomegranate Cranberry Sangria

Red Wine Caesars

Green Jalapeño Margaritas

White Citrus Sangria

I hope you enjoyed my guest post over on Killing Thyme today! If you try my Blueberry Lemon and Cucumber Gin Mojitos please let me know how you liked them — I love it when you guys make my recipes and tag me.

Follow along on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, or use the hashtag #justinecelinarecipes in your recreations so I can find them. I also have a Pinterest board for my recipes and a newer board exclusively for my cocktails if you’re looking for more better-for-you cocktail options with clean ingredients. Cheers, friends!

A huge thank you to Brides Magazine, Food Bloggers of Canada and Food Network Canada for featuring this recipe.

Disclaimer: Thank you to Killing Thyme for this guest posting opportunity and to my little sister Haley for helping me out with this shoot. This post is not sponsored and contains my genuine thoughts and recommendations. Thank you for supporting the businesse, blogs and the amazing people that support JustineCelina!