blood orange no-jito
No mo’ in this ‘jito.
Welcome to FMG’s first mocktail! I gained some good feedback from ya’ll on Instagram regarding my Saturday beverage content, and several of you cited that you’d like some mocktails in the rotation. While I don’t intend to bombard you each Saturday with new drinks – I’m also a bit drink’d out – I’d like to unite some of my non-drinkers, or those trying to take a break, under the mocktail umbrella.
Tis the season for colorful citrus fruit, and blood oranges are notoriously difficult to find but rewarding to work with. A little sip featuring this highly seasonal picking seemed like a good idea, so here we are on this fine January weekend enjoying a Blood Orange No-jito. Very simple, with few ingredients and no need to boil a syrup, yet refreshing and light and perfect for sitting back and watching some foo-ball or a movie.
Meet-o the No-jito
The key to making a mocktail taste less like sparkly juice and more like the real thing is to up the amount of tart citrus juice, so I call for a bit more lemon than I usually would in a cocktail. I also add some pomegranate molasses, which is not necessary if you don’t have it lying around.
Otherwise, the typical mojito lineup (aside from swapping lime for lemon) of fresh mint and sparkly water is the name of the game. Muddle the mint with the lemon, and honey to sweeten. Add in some pomegranate juice and blood orange juice for the main flavor, and a dash of bitters, shake it all up with ice, and pour into your favorite glass. Top with lots of bubbly water, throw in an extra orange wedge or two, and drink away! No buzz and no post-drink headache in order.
If you can’t find blood oranges, I like cara cara oranges just as well. They’re less deep of a red hue but still provide a similar flavor, and they’re super pretty in their own right. I’ve seen cara caras at Sprouts, Target, and Whole Food. Those are what I used here.
Enjoy your weekend, folks! Hope the first week back in routine wasn’t too painful for you.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Mojito, mo problems:
blood orange no-jito
Ingredients
- 8 mint leaves
- 1 oz lemon juice
- 1-2 tbsp honey, or to taste
- 2 oz blood orange juice
- 1 oz pomegranate juice
- 1-2 dashes orange bitters
- sparkling water, to top
Instructions
- In the bottom of a cocktail shaker, muddle the mint leaves, lemon juice, honey, and pomegranate molasses. Add the blood orange and pomegranate juices. Add ice and shake until cold. Pour into a glass. Serve with fresh mint leaves and additional orange slices, as desired.
