Friday Cheer! Blueberry Mojito

Woah, it's August.  That means summer is past its prime and beginning to slide into fall, which has plenty of its own pleasures.  But I'm not ready to surrender my summery cocktails.  This one, from a cookbook I've come to adore, has been enjoyed several times this summer. And I suspect it will be enjoyed many more times before I make the transition to fall and all its comfy-coziness.

Blueberry Mojito
from The Boozy Baker by Lucy Baker
Makes 1 drink

Ingredients:
1/2 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tsp. sugar (superfine, or, if you're feeling adventurous, turbinado/raw)
6 fresh mint leaves
10 fresh blueberries (or a large handful, if you're a berry fiend like me)
1 oz. light rum
1 oz dark rum
Club soda or seltzer water to taste

I strongly recommend purchasing Gosling's dark rum.
Use it for this blueberry mojito and for my all-time summer favorite,
a Dark and Stormy.

Preparation:
Combine the lime juice, sugar, mint leaves, and blueberries in a tall glass. Muddle (with a muddler or large wooden spoon) until the mint leaves are lightly bruised and the sugar is mostly dissolved. Add both rums and club soda/seltzer water. Give it a quick stir and enjoy!

Muddled blueberries, mint, sugar, and lime juice.
I muddled a bit before adding the mint, so I could mash
some blueberries thoroughly and only lightly bruise
the mint.

Notes:
--Demarara or raw sugar may not completely dissolve during muddling.  I don't mind the mild crunch it adds, especially because the molasses in the sugar plays very nicely with the flavors of the dark rum.
--The goal is to lightly bruise the mint leaves during muddling. If you crush and grind them to a pulp, you'll release the leaf's chlorophyll into the drink, adding a distinctly bitter taste.
--Dark rum is not the same thing as spiced rum.  You could use either here with impunity...but they are different flavors.  A quality spiced rum is, you guessed it, flavored with spices like cinnamon and clove.  Dark rum is aged in barrels longer, so it has stronger flavors, typically of molasses and a mild spice.

Fizzy, refreshing, and very potent.
My favorite part? The rum-soaked blueberries
hanging out at the bottom of the glass.

Happy Friday!!!