Cocktail Gardening: Blackberry Basil Mojito

You can only make so many pies when you're up to your ears in blackberries. Sometimes you just need to throw them in something that's adult rated! Up next in my parade of garden cocktails is the blackberry and basil mojito.

Fresh picks from the garden: 4 cups fresh blackberries, 1 cup fresh basil leaves. You can also mix fresh plums if you have them...mine are all et up already!

From the store: 4 lemons (mine aren't ripe yet), 3 cups vodka, 1/2 cup sugar to make a simple syrup, club soda

In a bowl, mix blackberries, basil leaves and the juice from the 4 lemons. Stick in the fridge for a day or two. To make the simple syrup, mix 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Make sure sugar is completely dissolved then remove from heat to cool. You can either mix the vodka in with the fruit and let sit in the fridge together or keep them separate until serving time. If you do the later, then when it's time to serve, mix together the fruit, vodka and simple syrup in a punch bowl or large glass container. Mix well.

To serve, ladle 1/3 cup of mixture (that's about the volume of a regular punch ladle) into the glass - be sure to get some of the berries too. Fill the glass halfway with ice, then top with club soda and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

Love this one, it's a keeper!