Usually around mid-April, when the warm air re-emerges after the long winter and Mother Nature randomly sprinkles in a couple hot summer-like days, I get the itch to dust off the patio furniture from storage, make myself a fruity cocktail, and lounge all day in the sun. Then I remember that I have kids so the lounging will never happen. And without fail, the MN weather decides to stick it to us one last time with an early spring snowfall. And in a flash, my cocktail-on-the-patio dreams are gone until June when summer is in full swing.
But the reality of this summer is that we’ve been out of town or at some kind of event every weekend so there has been zero deck relaxation and cocktail sipping. Oh wait, just kidding about the zero cocktail sipping. But in terms of patio furniture, this is as far as we’d gotten:
#classy. This was back in April. And by the way, that’s my daughter in her shorts giving thanks for the random day of warm weather. Fun fact: Once the temperature gauge hits 50 degrees in MN, wearing shorts is completely acceptable.
Let’s fast forward 4 months to last night when I finally brought out the dang patio furniture. Better late than never, right? To celebrate, I made a fruity cocktail. A sparkling peach ginger mojito, to be exact.
With the surplus of peaches in the house from Bob’s Produce Ranch, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to enjoy these sweet pieces of heaven in an adult beverage type of way.
But this isn’t your average peach mojito. (Is a peach mojito even average?) In addition to the peaches, lime juice, and mint, this version infuses the vibrant flavor of ginger in every sip. How? The ginger simple syrup.
Simply syrups definitely live up to their name, even when ginger is involved. Combine equal parts sugar and water, and throw in some chopped ginger. Bring everything to a boil, and then let it sim-simma for a few minutes. Done!
Then, bring all the ingredients together in a pitcher. Add ice and enough club soda to even out the flavors and dull a bit of the sweetness from the peaches and simple syrup. Pour the mixture into glasses and garnish with some fresh peach slices and and a couple mint leaves.
Cheers to the perfect drink to sip on the patio and celebrate peach season!
Throughout the month of August, I’m sharing a variety of peach recipes on the blog. Thanks so much to Bob’s Produce Ranch for providing the delicious peaches. Not only does Bob’s Produce stock the best Colorado peaches, but they also pride themselves in providing the freshest produce around. If you live in the Twin Cities, be sure to check out this local gem and see for yourself why this store is considered a year around indoor farmer’s market.
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 large piece of ginger (about 1.5 oz), peeled and chopped into chunks
- 3 medium peaches, sliced (reserve a few slices for garnish)
- 3 limes, juiced
- 12 ounces of rum (about 1 ½ cups)
- about 10 mint leaves (plus more for garnish)
- 6 cups ice
- 5 cups club soda
- Make the ginger simple syrup: In a medium saucepan, combine the water, sugar, and ginger and bring to a boil. Then, reduce to a simmer, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, about 3-4 minutes. Take the syrup off the heat and let it sit for about 15 minutes.
- Make the mojito: In a pitcher, muddle the peach slices, lime juice, rum, and mint leaves. Add the ice to the pitcher. Pour in the ginger simple syrup and the club soda. Stir to combine.
Nutrition Information (per serving) from Caloriecount.about.com
Calories: 227 Fat: .3g Carb: 25.6g Fiber: 2.3g Protein: 1g Sugar 21.4g Sodium: 4mg
More Peach recipes:
Southwest Salmon Burgers with Peach Salsa
Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Peach BBQ Sauce
Slow Cooker Coconut Peach Cobbler
Hi! I'm Krista, a self-proclaimed vegetable lover who likes to put a creative spin on healthy cooking. Here you'll find a variety of lightened up recipes using fresh and wholesome ingredients! 
That drink looks refreshing & tasty.
Thanks so much Joan! Definitely hits the spot on a hot summer day!