This tip falls in the “food fun” category.

Some of us keep grapes in the freezer as snacks.

The icy grapes are like sorbet with no sugar added.

The grapes have enough natural sugar, and enough water, to create the “sorbet” effect.

You can be satisfied with a few frozen grapes, as opposed to digging into a pint of sorbet or ice cream.

But frozen grapes have another use: as “ice cubes.”

You can freeze grapes to chill wine, iced tea or sparkling water. (It’s best that the drink be pre-chilled.)

Either during or after the drink is finished, the grapes are an extra treat. You can serve the drink with a cocktail pick to spear the grapes.
 
 
HOW TO FREEZE GRAPES

1. BUY the largest grapes you can find. Pull them off the stems and rinse them in a sieve. Turn out onto a paper towel, pat gently and allow to dry naturally. Then, if you have space…

2a. PLACE the grapes in a single layer on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Freeze until firm, then transfer to a heavy-duty plastic bags or an airtight container and return to the freezer. Otherwise, just…

2b. PLACE the dry grapes in plastic bags or airtight container and return to the freezer. You’ll have to pry them apart when ready to use, but it’s easy to do.
 
 
MAKE ACTUAL GRAPE ICE CUBES

Here’s another way to have ice cube fun: flavored ice cubes.

You can freeze fruits within an ice cube—not just grapes but raspberries, small strawberries, mint leaves and lemon peel curls or small wedges.

For savory drinks, you can use herbs or small vegetables like grape tomatoes, cucumber pieces, olives or lemon curls in the cubes.

See photo #3, below.

Here are more tips. Bottoms up!
 
 

[1] Frozen grapes (photo © Mike Kenneally | Unsplash).

[2] Table grapes meet their cousin, wine grapes—after they’ve been fermented into alcohol (photo © Bon Voyaged).

[1] The fixings for a classic Mojito. Note the sugar cane “swizzle stick” (photo © Jennifer Schmidt | Unsplash).

[2] A classic Mojito at Seviche restaurant (photo © Seviche | Louisville).

[3] A Cherry Mojito. The recipe is below (photo © Jochem Raat | Unsplash).

[4] A Coconut Mojito. Here’s the recipe (photo © Firewater Bars).

[5] A Strawberry Rose Mojito, made with strawberries and a dash of rosewater. Here’s the recipe (photo © Nielsen-Massey).

The Mojito (pronounced moe-HEE-toe) is Cuba’s most famous cocktail. It’s a simple recipe: rum, lime juice, sugar, mint and a splash of club soda (photos #1 and #2—here’s the recipe).

The name derives from the African voodoo term mojo, to cast a small spell.

Drinking more than two can certainly cast a spell!

According to Bacardi Rum, the drink can be traced to 1586, when Sir Francis Drake and his pirates unsuccessfully attempted to sack Havana for its gold. His associate, Richard Drake, was said to have invented a Mojito-like cocktail known as El Draque that was made with aguardiente, a crude forerunner of rum, plus sugar, lime and mint. (The sugar was used to offset the harsh taste of the liquor.)

> Here’s more Mojito history.
 
 
ENTER THE FRUIT MOJITO

As bartenders began to spin variations of the classic cocktails around the 1970s, Mojitos (along with Margaritas, Martinis, Mint Juleps and you-name-it) began to be mixed with different fruits and other flavors.

Hence, the Appletini, the Espresso Martini, the Kiwi Mint Julep, Peacharita (Peach Margarita) and endless more.

So in addition to the classic Mojito recipe, we’re sharing our selection of fruit-flavored Mojitos.

If your favorite fruit isn’t listed, just substitute it for one of the fruits that are featured.

We’re starting with a Cherry Mojito recipe (photo #3) to take advantage of cherry season. It starts with homemade cherry syrup.

There are more Mojito recipes below.
 
 
RECIPE: CHERRY MOJITO

Ingredients For The Cherry Syrup For 4-6 Drinks

 
Per Mojito

 
Preparation

1. BRING the water and sugar to a boil in a sauce pan over medium high heat. Stir until sugar the dissolves. Pour into a bowl over the chopped cherries. Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.

2. CUT each ½ lime into 2 or 3 wedges. Add the lime wedges, mint leaves and cherry syrup to a glass. Muddle them to release all of the juices from the lime wedges, and to break down the mint and cherries.

3. FILL the glass almost to the top with ice, pour the rum over the ice and top off with the sparking water.

4. GARNISH with additional mint and lime and the optional sugar cane stick.

 
 
MORE MOJITO RECIPES

 
Plus, For Fun:

Lemonade gets lots of attention during summer months. But why ignore limeade? It’s just as refreshing, and more of a treat since one doesn’t often find it.

If you don’t want to squeeze limes, it’s easy to pick up a can of frozen limeade. The concentrate is versatile: also a component of some slushies, sangrias, and Margarita and Daiquiri recipes*.

You can also use limeade—fresh or frozen—as a mocktail. Add a few dashes of bitters, or a splash of tonic water for a mocktail Gin & Tonic.

And of course, turn limeade into a cocktail by adding gin, tequila or vodka.

There are lots of limeade recipes below.

Since it’s Key lime season, you can make a less acidic Key lime limeade with this basic limeade recipe. The sweeter Key limes mean that you can use less sugar.

Before you juice any lime, though, you may want to zest it first. Here’s what to do with the zest.

And here’s a Mexican approach to limeade that heats things up with a favorite national seasoning, Tajín:
 
 
RECIPE: SPARKLING CUCUMBER LIMEADE

This recipe adds some heat with a spicy Tajín rim (photo #1). If you’re not into spicy, omit the rim or make one with lime zest and sugar (photo #4).

You can also make limeade ice cubes that don’t dilute your drink.

Thanks to Tajín for the idea. If you don’t know about Tajín Seasoning, check it out.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. MOISTEN the rim of the glasses with water or lime juice; twist in a dish of Tajín. Set aside.

2. PEEL and seed 1-1/2 cucumbers and purée in a blender or food processor.

3. SLICE the remaining cucumber. Fill each glass with ice, sparkling water, lime juice and the processed cucumber; mix well

4. GARNISH with the cucumber slices.

 
MORE LIMEADE RECIPES

 
 
MORE TO KNOW

> THE HISTORY OF LIMES
 
> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF LIMES
 
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*You can also refreeze the concentrate into ice pops and use it in chicken glaze.

[1] Sparkling Cucumber Limeade (photo and recipe © Tajín Seasoning).

[2] Don’t want to purée cucumbers? Here’s Saveur’s cucumber limeade recipe (photo © Saveur).

[3] Don’t want to add the cucumbers? Make a simple glass of limeade with this recipe (photo © Le Coucou | NYC).

[4] Don’t want a spicy rim? Mix equal parts of lime zest and sugar for a sweet rim (photo © Saint Marc Pub-Café [now closed]).