I’ve been writing On the Sauce for a while now. However, for two years in a row, I haven’t had the opportunity to concoct a cocktail in honor of St. Pete Pride — although I’ve very much wanted to. For whatever reason, my timing’s been off; the annual three-day celebration, kicking off Friday, always seems to sneak up on me. But that ends this year.
Third time’s a charm, right?
Typically, I test out drinks a few days before my deadline. That’s not the case with the following cocktail, though. I’ve spent a good amount of time getting the formula for Pride & Passion Fruit — a delightful mojito fit for summertime — just right, because you need the perfect sipper to enjoy during your pre- and post-Pride merriment.
Pride & Passion Fruit gets the latter half of its name from one of the newest flavors rolled out in bottles by Mother Kombucha: hopped passion fruit. Despite passion fruit being in season, I couldn’t find it in the flesh, yet luckily, the St. Petersburg kombucha purveyor came through with both the flavor and bubbles needed to pull off our celebratory mojito.
Similar to the tart cherry concentrate I discussed in last week’s column, the hopped passion fruit kombucha, which features MK’s updated bottle design, fell into my lap. Yep, this is what my life has become… accepting challenges like a real-life episode of Chopped, the home bar edition. I’m not mad at the kombucha, however. It’s delicious.
Passion fruit pairs well with the ingredients used in a traditional mojito — they’re basically soulmates. Not to mention, the tartness of the kombucha effortlessly balances out what tends to be an overly sweet drink. Added bonus? The cocktail’s pink hue makes it all the more tempting.
Pride & Passion Fruit is perfect for a party, says the recipe’s 3 ounces of rum, plus it’s amazingly refreshing on a hot day. Even if you can’t head over to St. Pete for the Pride festivities, I hope you’ll make this cocktail and toast to Tampa Bay’s LGBTQ community from afar.
Pride & Passion Fruit
Makes 1
1/2 ounce simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water dissolved over medium heat)
10-12 mint leaves
1 lime, quartered
3 ounces silver rum
Mother Kombucha Hopped Passion Fruit, to top
Add your simple syrup, mint and lime to a highball glass. Muddle until the mint is broken down and the lime juice has been expressed. Add rum and fill the glass with ice. Top with Mother Kombucha Hopped Passion Fruit, then give your cocktail a gentle stir. Garnish with a lime wedge.
Connect with CL columnist Chris Fasick (@cfasick) on Twitter, or email him at cdfasick@gmail.com if there's a cocktail or recipe you'd like featured.
This article appears in Jun 21-28, 2018.
