Raspberry Mojito

Gather the ingredients. In a highball glass, add several mint leaves and raspberries. Muddle well to release the juice of the berries and the essence of the mint. Fill the glass with ice and squeeze in the juice of the lime wedges. Add the rum and raspberry liqueur. Top off with ginger ale and stir well. Garnish with more raspberries and a sprig of mint. Serve and enjoy.

Tips: To wake up the mint's flavor, slap the leaves between your palms or gently tear them before adding them to the glass. Try wiping the glass rim with a lime wedge to get a refreshing, tart taste with every sip. You can use frozen raspberries; enough to cover the bottom of the glass should do. Thaw the berries first so they're easier to muddle.

Recipe Variations: Switch to another lightly flavored soda if you like. Club soda and sparkling waters will not be as sweet as ginger ale and work really well in this mojito. You could also pour sparkling wine; rosé is an excellent choice. Skip the raspberry liqueur and pour raspberry rum instead. The cocktail won't be as sweet; make up for that by adding 1/2 ounce of simple syrup or 1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar to the muddle. Vanilla rum is an excellent alternative to white rum and pairs nicely with raspberries. Add more fruits to the cocktail. Blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries are natural companions for raspberries. You can also muddle in slices of mango, melon, or pineapple. Skip the liquors and make this a virgin raspberry mojito. You'll need more soda or can split it with limeade.