Muddle a bowl full of blueberries with the bright green leaves of fresh mint, entwining the flavors of two of the season’s favorites. Then add a squeeze of lime, a shot or two of orange liqueur and a splash of gently aged tequila. Now you’ve got the perfect beverage to help you tackle the heat!
I first pulled this cocktail together after a week of making jam because I still had plenty of plump, sweet blueberries in my fridge. With the warmer weather a cold cocktail always seems ideal and who doesn’t love a great margarita? So blending the two seemed like a deliciously fun idea!
To make a good margarita start with a good tequila. To make a great margarita add a touch of Cointreau, that beautiful orange liqueur delivering a gorgeous orange note, rounding out the edges of this drink. And pour in just a touch of simple syrup for a subtle kiss of sweetness. Then take advantage of the abundance of the springtime’s produce by adding blueberries and mint along with the brightness of fresh lime juice.
Adorn the glass by rolling the rim in a touch more lime juice followed by a dip in a delightful blend of raw sugar and kosher salt.
Give it a good shake and turn a classic margarita into a stunningly, refreshing cocktail!
Blueberry Mint Margaritas
12 to 14 fresh mint leaves
¾ cup fresh blueberries, plus more for garnish
3 tablespoons simple syrup
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, about 2 to 3 limes, divided
½ cup good tequila
¼ cup Cointreau
1 cup ice, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons raw sugar
1-½ tablespoons kosher salt
Toss the mint and the blueberries into a tall cocktail shaker. Crush the mint and berries together with a muddler.
Add the simple syrup and 4 tablespoons of the lime juice.
Pour in the tequila along with the Cointreau, then top it off with 1 cup of ice.
Place the lid tightly on the shaker and mix, shaking vigorously until the cocktail is well mixed and very cold. Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons of the lime juice into a shallow bowl or saucer. Whisk the raw sugar and kosher salt together in a shallow bowl. Run the rim of each glass in the lime juice then in the sugar and kosher salt coating the rim. Fill the glasses with ice, taking care to not knock off the sugar and salt from the rim.
Pour the margarita through the strainer of the shaker into the each glass.
To garnish, skewer additional blueberries on a cocktail pick and serve.
Makes 2 cocktails.
To make a basic simple syrup:
2 cups water
3 cups sugar
Pour the water into a small saucepan, stir in the sugar. Warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar has completely dissolved. Keep refrigerated.
Blueberry Mint Margaritas
Equipment
- cocktail shaker
- Muddler
Ingredients
- For the margaritas:
- 12 to 14 fresh mint leaves
- ¾ cup blueberries, fresh plus more for garnish
- 3 tablespoons simple syrup (see attached recipe)
- 6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, about 2 to 3 limes, divided
- ½ cup good tequila
- ¼ cup Cointreau
- 1 cup ice, plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons raw sugar
- 1-½ tablespoons kosher salt
- For the simple syrup:
- 2 cups water
- 3 cups sugar
Instructions
- To make the margaritas:
- Toss the mint and the blueberries into a tall cocktail shaker. Crush the mint and berries together with a muddler.
- Add the simple syrup and 4 tablespoons of the lime juice.
- Pour in the tequila along with the Cointreau then top off with 1 cup of ice.
- Place the lid tightly on the shaker and mix, shaking vigorously until the cocktail is well mixed and very cold.
- Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons of the lime juice into a shallow bowl or saucer. Whisk the raw sugar and kosher salt together in a shallow bowl. Run the rim of each glass in the lime juice then in the sugar and kosher salt, coating the rim.
- Fill the glasses with ice, taking care to not knock off the sugar and salt from the rim.
- Pour the margarita through the strainer of the shaker into the each glass. To garnish, skewer additional blueberries on a cocktail pick and serve.
- To make the simple syrup:
- Pour the water into a small saucepan, stir in the sugar. Warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar has completely dissolved. Keep refrigerated.
