Raspberry Vodka Mojito Cocktail

A light and refreshing sort of mojito; This Raspberry Vodka Mojito Cocktail uses vodka instead of rum but with plenty of mint and berries, it’s a summer hit!

My that does look yummalicious doesn’t it…if I say so myself! I love summer cocktails and this Raspberry Vodka Mojito Cocktail is no exception. Summer drinks are easy; a favorite mixer, some fruit, a bit of sugar and citrus and you can make a million varieties on that theme.

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

I’m sure purists would decry my calling this a mojito; after all there is no rum. Still, I think Mojito purists would be much more laid back than Martini purists who shout the loudest if the world Martini is affixed to any spirits other than gin and vermouth…such a travesty of Martinidom!

I had considered Raspberry Martini Mojito or maybe Raspberry Marjito…or how about a Raspberry Motini but those names do nothing to convey the beautiful bounty in that glass…trying too hard simply complicates things so Raspberry Vodka Mojito it is!!

Without a doubt, my inspiration was a bottle of Van Gogh Raspberry Vodka; the name slid off of my tongue easily enough and beyond the vodka; the other ingredients are quite comfortable in Mojito world.

I’ve always had a mint plant in my garden; the secret to enjoying mint without having it take over is to plant it in a large container that you then sink into the ground. Before I moved I had a plant that had flourished for 20 years in a 5-gallon paint bucket that was put into a hole the same size.

Yes that hole in the ground is a pain if you have hard clay like we do in Colorado, but trust me, years of having a perennial mint plant without it taking over your garden will make that effort worthwhile, trust me.

If runners try to take root where the plant touchs the ground they’re easy enough to remove but it simply can not send out shoots from underground and take over an entire garden. Pure mint heaven!

I think my main purpose for mint is cocktails; first it was for Mint Juleps but now clearly I knew I needed it for Mojitos even before I knew they existed! I love the basic flavoring of a Mojito even beyond the rum component.

Lime, mint, simple syrup and sparkling water alone would make a refreshing non alcoholic beverage and I have indeed served them to friends who are choosing to not imbibe. Add some raspberries and it just gets better. Add some Van Gogh Raspberry Vodka? Oh yeah.

Van Gogh Raspberry Vodka is hand-crafted, using only natural ingredients which insures that it actually tastes and smells exactly like fresh wild raspberries; perfect to compliment cocktails using fresh fruit. It simply can not be left unsaid either…they have the most gorgeous bottle designs; they are like a piece of art!

I’ve tried a variety of flavored vodkas and Van Gogh is really topnotch; the flavors are natural and not an artificial component and it makes a difference.

Mojitos start with the ingredients being muddled, (basically a new-fangled word for mashed). I do prefer using a muddler, a tool meant for that job but in lieu of having one, try the back of a spoon or even the handle of a regular kitchen knife.

The mint leaves, simple syrup and fruits (normally just lime slices) are put in the bottom of a Collins glass and the mashing together releases their natural oils and juice.

In this rendition, raspberries are included in the muddling, vodka is added to the those ingredients, fresh lime slices are layered with ice and then everything is topped off with lime sparkling water (I’m in love with Perrier Lime).

Although I used raspberries today, the Mojito is a great cocktail for the seasonal bounty of fruits. I’ve done them with strawberries and blackberries and this year I’m going to try some peaches later in the summer.

It’s cool, it’s pretty, it’s damn tasty and on a warm summer afternoon I do believe it’s just what the doctor ordered!

PIN IT! ‘Raspberry Vodka Mojito Cocktail’