Red, White, & Blueberry Spritzer

Though its the unofficial halfway point of summertime, to me 4th of July is when summer finally starts to pick up. July in a NJ beach town is heaven, &  I can fully predict that I will spend the rest of my summer as a beach bum- enjoying all the freedom the sun has to offer. 

Of course, the best way to celebrate freedom, summer & sunshine is with a drink in hand. & this blueberry rum spritzer is the perfect drink to take you from Fourth of July weekend through the rest of the summer. 

Blueberry Rum Spritzer:

(to fill one, 16oz mason jar)

3/4 cup Cranberry juice

1/2 cup seltzer

3 tbs blueberry syrup (see below for recipe)

3 oz (2 shots) of rum (I'm using a light, mango rum)

blueberries for garnish (optional)

Shake well & serve over ice. 

The blueberry syrup is not only my favorite part of the drink, but my new favorite thing to drizzle on everything. So far i've added it to my lemonades, pancakes, yogurt & favorite ice cream. Yup, it's that good. 

Blueberry Syrup:

1.5 cup light brown sugar

1 cup + 1 handful fresh blueberries

1 cup water

1 lime

Add your sugar, berries, & water to a saucepan & bring to a boil.

Once it's boiling, add the juice of 1 lime & lower the heat. Continue to simmer for 15 minutes. 

 An added bonus; it smells incredible. 

Once you're done you can strain it, but I chose to save the berries. 1 batch should make enough syrup to fill a 16oz mason jar.