The mojito is a classic cocktail, especially for those who avoid the extremely sweet cocktails as we do. But, as delicious as they are, you can make a mojito even better by adding beer and fruit.

Our favorite recipe is fairly simple. All you need is some rum, mint, a lime, and the craft beer and fruit of your choice.

Blueberries tend to work incredibly well with the mint here as they have a perfect balance of sweet flavors and tartness that marries well with the refreshing sting of mint, but you can choose whatever floats your boat mojito. Cranberries, strawberries, or blackberries can also be great options. We do like our berries. And, as we’ll discuss later on, you can let the beer take care of both of these additions if you choose a beer that’s already fruited, though adding some fresh fruit of the same variety can brighten up the drink.

In selecting the right beer, you can go subtle or extreme.

Lighter and cleaner beers will allow the fruit flavors to shine through most prominently and keep a nice balance. With a more flavorful fruit like blueberries, you should stick to a beer that packs a more palatable punch. One interesting way to go here is to choose a Belgian ale, which adds more aroma to the bouquet of the mojito. We’ve used our Belgian blonde Belgian Slice in this beer cocktail a few times for an ester-laden aroma experience. Its supporting notes of citrus come through even more with the mojito’s squeeze of lime.

Our personal preference in beer selection is to go more extreme and take care of two birds with one stone.

Featuring a fruited sour in this beer mojito allows you to drop the fruit addition entirely. Brighter, fruited sour beers can have a very intense fruit profile while the tartness accentuates the mint and lime and contributes to a crisp, refreshing finish.

We’ve used both Max Cherry and Passion in the Streets in this recipe. Max Cherry leans in on the sweet cherry notes, but the mint, lime, and rum all tame the sweeter flavors from this beer. The Max Cherry Limeade variant we released in 2020 also works particularly well because it tones down he cherry a great deal while, at the same time, amping up the fresh lime juice.

Passion in the Streets is a little sharper with the more tart flavors of passionfruit and subtle mango sweetness. It’s definitely for those who would prefer a dry cocktail with a strong flavor profile. The mango pairs so well with the rum, you might even forget there’s rum in this drink.

We’d encourage you to experiment with what beer your tastes prefer, but, once you’ve made your selection, we’re ready to get muddy “muddly” and make this beer cocktail.

What you need

• Fruit of your choice (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, etc.)
• 2 ounces of rum
• 2 sprigs of mint
• 12-16 ounces of the beer of your choice
• 1 lime

How to make it

1. Muddle your fruit and mint in the bottom of the pint glass until nicely muddle-y
2. Add the rum
3. Pour in your beer (gently please)
4. Squeeze a bit of lime juice in
5. And stir until delicious

A fruited mojito like the one above can be magical on a warm summer day, but there’s no need to let weather dictate when you enjoy one. Seize the day!

Let us know how yours comes together and what fruit or beer you choose!