Añejo Rum Recipe

Combine blueberries, sugar, and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, and crush berries with the back of a spoon to release juices (about 4–5 minutes).

Once the sugar is dissolved and mixture is slightly thickened, remove from heat. Let cool slightly, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a jar, pressing solids to extract as much syrup as possible. Discard solids. Refrigerate until chilled. Makes roughly 6 ounces; use 0.75 oz for each cocktail.

Prepare passionfruit

Cut a ripe passionfruit in half and scoop the pulp into a small bowl or measuring cup. If seeds are a concern, you can lightly press pulp through a sieve to remove some seeds, but leaving seeds adds texture and visual appeal.

Build and shake

In a cocktail shaker, add the passionfruit pulp, añejo rum (2 oz), blueberry simple syrup (0.75 oz), fresh lime juice (0.75 oz), orange liqueur (0.5 oz), and 2 dashes Angostura bitters. Fill the shaker with ice (about 1 cup). Shake vigorously for 12–15 seconds until well-chilled and the shaker is frosty.

Strain and serve

Double-strain the cocktail into a chilled coupe or rocks glass over fresh ice using a fine-mesh strainer to catch passionfruit fibers and seeds (or single-strain if you prefer the seeds). If you want a lighter, slightly effervescent drink, top with ~1 oz club soda.

Garnish

Thread 4–6 blueberries on a cocktail pick and rest across the rim or float them on top. Add a lime wheel or twist on the rim and, optionally, float half a passionfruit shell (flesh side up) in the glass for presentation.

Serve immediately and enjoy. Adjust sweetness by increasing or decreasing blueberry syrup by 0.25 oz increments to taste.