If you're a regular reader than you must be saying, "Wait Barb, this isn't Friday!" and you are so right? I woke up early Thursday morning with all of the signs of a cold; scratchy throat and congestion are not my friends but they had come to visit in the middle of the night nonetheless. I did what I always do, I started my own personal treatment plan which includes gargling with salt water, upping my daily intake of vitamin C and taking regular doses of Airborne, an over the counter product that boosts your immune system. Did it help? A little. I mean I still made a cocktail on Thursday that I expected to publish on Friday but the truth is I just ran out of steam and decided I would give it up, get some rest and hold off on publishing the post until next week. It's not like a post about Cranberry Sauce Mojitos won't wait; we're still smack in the middle of cranberry season.
So, I stuck to my plan and today I'm feeling a bit better. I've had a morning of finishing my Christmas decorations, baking a favorite treat called Sticky Toffee Pudding (which I'll be sharing this coming week too!) and finally taking some time to organize the schedule for the upcoming week and when I did? Uh oh. I have two more cocktails I planned for before Christmas so there was no room in the schedule to include this one (yes, I almost said 'no room at the inn') and I really wanted to share this one with you. So there you have it; that's why it's here now on a Sunday and you still have time to raise a glass yet today if you want!
I always make cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving and this cocktail was inspired from what I had leftover from this Bourbon and Brown Sugar Cranberry Sauce. The sugared berries eliminate the need to add a simple syrup and even though the cranberry sauce recipe includes bourbon; it didn't compete at all with the rum in the mojito. Unless your sauce is filled with jalapeno or curry or something far more exotic than my bourbon and orange it should work just fine. If not...it's so easy to just make a small amount with cranberries, sugar and water and use that (I've included a basic recipe in the Recipe Notes). Worse case scenario; buy a can of it at the grocery store and muddle it with your mint and lime! As for me? I had to give them away to my neighbors (so sad) and wish I had one now. But it's time to stick with my regime...no booze for Barb, just naptime. Cheers!
- 2 heaping Tablespoons of cranberry sauce
- 8-10 mint leaves
- 1 slice of lime
- 2 oz. rum
- 2-3 oz of sparkling water, chilled
- Lime Slices
- Fresh cranberries
- Put the cranberry sauce, mint leaves and lime slice into the bottom of the glass; muddle all ingredients to release flavors and mix everything together.
- Add rum and mix with a bar spoon. Add ice and lime slices (if desired) and fill with sparkling water; gently stir.
- Garnish with cranberries and mint sprig.
Simple Cranberry Sauce:
