Last Updated on April 3, 2024 by Leah Hall
With a bit of sweetness, this fruity, refreshing Cherry Mojito is the perfect cocktail all summer long!
A Cherry Mojito recipe is a great drink to add to your list of favorite summer cocktails. Combining fresh cherries, lime juice, and mint, this drink is flavorful and refreshing. Try a Blueberry Pineapple Mojito or Strawberry Mojito, too! Or, a lighter cocktail with a Vodka Cherry Limeade from our friends at Cake ‘n Knife!
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The sweet and tart flavor of fresh cherries combine perfectly with the mint flavor of a classic mojito. Of course, the rum makes this pack a serious punch! And, best of all, it is easy to make!
We made this one for the 4th of July, as it is in the middle of cherry season, as well as a fun dark red color to celebrate the holiday. We grow mint in our garden, and as such, we usually have a ton to use in July. This makes mixing up these Cherry Lime Mojitos so simple! This cocktail could also be easily be made in a pitcher for a crowd.
What is a Mojito?
A mojito is a classic Cuban highball cocktail that is made from the combination of white rum, lime juice, sugar, fresh mint leaves and soda water. There are many theories and histories behind the name as well as the origin of a mojito.
Originating in Cuba, there are theories about the start of this drink, whether it comes out of drinking of guarapo (sugarcane juice) by enslaved people on the sugarcane plantations, or from drinking rum made from sugarcane (aguardiente de caña (“burning water”), mixed with lime juice, sugarcane and mint to hide the flavor. Maybe it’s both, as sugarcane syrup has been used to sweeten mojitos, too!
Let’s just settle on that it became a classic cocktail for a reason!
Cherry Mojito Ingredients
- Lime Juice – as always, fresh squeezed is best. Or, you can use lime wedges and muddle them with the cherries if you prefer.
- Mint – a required ingredient to make mojitos! Mint adds freshness and a lovely aroma to this classic cocktail. Make sure to have additional mint leaves for the garnish!
- Cherries – these dark sweet cherries have a sweet flavor, but can be somewhat tart as well. Of course fresh is best, but you can use frozen cherries that have been thawed, too. Pitted and sliced works best. Use a cherry pitter for best results!
- Simple Syrup – We made this homemade because it is so simple. Get our Homemade Simple Syrup Recipe with is easily made with a cup of water and cup sugar. Or, you can use granulated sugar instead and muddle with the cherries.
- White Rum – just don’t pick one from the bottom shelf and you should have a good brand.
- Club Soda – to add some effervescence and brightness.
How to Make a Cherry Mojito
- Muddle the ingredients – muddling isn’t just about crushing your ingredients. Place cherries in a tall glass. Muddle with a muddler about 4-5 times to crush the fruit at the bottom of the glass and make cherry juice. If using lime juice and simple syrup, pour these in and muddle with the fruit. If you are using lime wedges or granulated sugar add to the cherries and muddle well.
- When the cherries (and lime wedges) are broken down, add the mint and press the muddler down. Don’t crush the mint. This will release a bitter flavor into your cocktail, you don’t want that. By gently pressing down, you just release the oils, which is where the mint flavor is.
- Stir – Combine the cherries, lime juice, simple syrup, and mint. Add ice cubes, then add rum. Stir again if necessary. Top with club soda. Garnish with more mint, lime slices and cherries.
What Does it Mean to Muddle Mint?
When making a cocktail like a mojito, you may have heard of the phrase, “muddling mint.” This term means to gently press the herb at the bottom of a glass with the goal of releasing the oils. With mint, it is important to only press 2-3 times to avoid it from getting bitter. Do not mash the mint to a pulp. If muddling with fruit then muddle the fruit first, then add the mint later.
Tips & Tricks
- Sweetener – for mojitos a lot of recipes call for sugar to be muddled with the fruit, but we feel that simple syrup makes it easier to make. If you don’t use regular granulated sugar, feel free to sweeten with what you do use. This could be honey. maple syrup or sugar substitute. You can use these in a syrup, or muddled with the cherries. Also, feel free to make a flavored simple syrup like fresh cherry syrup, lime simple syrup, or mint simple syrup.
- Liquor – If you don’t like white rum, vodka can be a great sub.
- Club Soda – if you don’t want to use club soda, feel free to try a flavored sparkling water. Lime sparkling water works great for more lime flavor, or try cherry sparkling water or even another like pomegranate, cherry, peach or orange. Or, use lemon lime soda. You could even sub the club soda for sparkling wine: prosecco or champagne. Even non-alcoholic sparkling wine or Kombucha works too. Try our mojito mocktail: Blueberry with Berry Kombucha Mojito.
- Garnish – lime wedges or slices, mint sprigs, cherries, straws and more are all great garnishes. Mint ice cubes would be fun or anything else that would be festive!
- Nojito – Make this a virgin cherry mojito by leaving out rum. Makes a great cherry mocktail!
- Cocktail Shaker – this is usually a build in glass cocktail, but if you want to, you can shake this cocktail and then strain out all the fruit pieces and mint leaves. But, totally up to you!
- Glass – a tumbler is the perfect size for this. If you want this patriotic one, we have it!
Cheers to these delicious cherry mojitos! Try a Mango Mojito, a delicious summer twist from Nutmeg Nanny, too!
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Other Delicious Mojito Recipes
- Passion Fruit Mojito – Garlic & Zest
- Fresh Strawberry Mojito – Burrata & Bubbles
- Frozen Passion Fruit Mojito – Daily Appetite
- Strawberry Mojito – Call me PMC
Fresh Cherry Mojito Recipe
Cherry Mojitos are easy and delicious. A summer twist on the classic mojito cocktail.
Ingredients
- 5-6 cherries, stems removed and pitted
- 4-5 mint leaves, large sprig for garnish
- 1 barspoon lime juice
- 1 ounce simple syrup
- 2 ounces white rum
- 2-3 ounces club soda
Instructions
- Add cherries in the bottom of a glass. Muddle. Add mint leaves and press down to release the oils.
- Add lime juice, simple syrup and rum. Stir.
- Add ice, stir again if necessary. Top with club soda.
- Garnish with items of your choice: mint, lime slices and cherries.
- Cheers!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
1Serving Size:
7 ouncesAmount Per Serving: Calories: 232Total Fat: .1gSodium: 22mgCarbohydrates: 26.5gFiber: .3gSugar: 1.8gProtein: .2g
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