Raspberry Acetosa Mojito

For the Acetosa

• 2 ounces fresh raspberries
• 2 ounces white sugar
• 2 ounces water
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

For the Raspberry Acetosa Mojito

• The above quantity of Acetosa
• 4 glassfuls of ice
• 1 large lemon, chopped into pieces
• 4 tablespoons of cane (raw) sugar
• 8 ounces white rum
• soda water
• 24 fresh basil leaves
• A handful of raspberries for garnish

1. For the Acetosa, place the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil (stir until the sugar has dissolved). Let the syrup simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes, until thickened but not caramelized.
2. In the meantime, squeeze the raspberries through a fine sieve to separate the seeds from the pulp and juice. Discard the seeds and place the juice/pulp in a bowl and set aside. When the syrup has boiled, add directly into the bowl with the raspberries along with the vinegar. You may want to first just add 1 tablespoon, taste, then adjust to your taste. I found 2 tablespoons to be pleasantly acidic while not being overpowering. Set aside and allow to cool. If you make this in larger quantities you can keep this bottled and stored in the fridge for quite some time.
3. For the mojito, in each glass (a tumbler is the classic glass to use), pound 1 tablespoon of sugar together with ¼ of the lemon and a little splash of soda water to loosen. Fill the tumblers with ice. Add the rum, the raspberry acetosa and fill the rest of the glass with soda water, stopping when you reach ½ inch from the top. Stir carefully with a spoon from the bottom of the glass to the top. Garnish with the basil and a handful of fresh raspberries.