I’m not usually a mixed-drink kind of girl.
Now, my Pa’s gin & tonic is another story altogether, and one probably deserving of its own post.
But before I digress, let me just say I find most mixed drinks to be just too much…
Too much pre-fab mixer…
Too much sugar…
Way too many calories…
And just too much trouble if I’m making them at home. However…
I just couldn’t resist the tantalising thought of a dragonfruit mojito. As I was taste-testing mango mojitos for my cooking class last week (also very beautiful and yummy, by the way,) I was also snacking on some sliced red dragonfruit. The rum/mint/lime flavor of the mojito went perfectly with the dragonfruit. It was light and refreshing. It was naturally sweet. And it was stunningly gorgeous!!
The nice thing about homemade mixed drinks is that you can control the ingredients. And luckily for us, the ingredients of the mojito are simple: fruit, sweetener, citrus, mint, & rum. Red dragonfruit is common throughout Southeast Asia. It is not only beautiful and delicious, but also super healthy, filled with fiber and anthocyanins (the same powerful anti-oxidant found in blueberries.) For the sweetener (dragonfruit doesn’t need much,) I used a mixture of agave syrup and stevia, a natural herbal sweetener. I used calamansi juice to give it that essential citrus kick. Calamansi is a local fruit about the size of a walnut but perfectly round, green on the outside and slightly yellowish on the inside. It has a lovely citrus flavor a bit softer than a traditional lime. Mint is always available around here, and for the rum, use white rum to keep the colour of your drink bright & the taste clean. I used Bacardi. Top it all off with a splash of San Pellegrino sparkling water.
This drink is easy to make:
Muddle the fruit and mint at the bottom of the glass.
Add sweetened calamansi juice and muddle some more.
Add ice. Add a shot of rum.
Stir it up.
Top off with a splash of sparkling water.
Garnish with mint if you like.
Enjoy!
P.S. If you’re making these mojitos for a crowd (and why not??), you might want to whirl up part of the fruit in your blender. Dice the rest & put it all into a big pitcher. This recipe multiplies nicely.
Dragonfruit Mojitos
Ingredients
- pinch (<1/8 t.) stevia powder dissolved in 1 t. hot water (can sub 3-4 drops liquid stevia)
- 2 t. agave syrup
- 1 T. calamansi juice (can sub lime juice)
- 1/4 cup red dragonfruit, diced small
- 6-7 mint leaves, torn
- 1 shot (1.5 fluid oz) white rum, chilled
- 1 cup ice
- ¼ cup sparkling water (I used San Pellegrino)
- extra mint leaves, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a cocktail glass, combine mint leaves & dragonfruit. Muddle with the end of a spatula.
- Add dissolved stevia, agave syrup, and calamansi juice. Muddle again.
- Add ice & rum. Stir to combine.
- Top up with sparkling water.
- Garnish with mint leaves if desired.
Oh my, this is such a beautiful creation!! I very rarely order mixed drinks either because of the sugar content. But I really do love them and making your own is such a great idea to have more control!
I think dragonfruit is one of the most gorgeous fruits ever!! And it just lends itself to a mixed drink because of its natural sweetness and beauty. If you can’t find red dragonfruit, I think pomegranate would work well too. Happy mixing! 🙂