Muddy Shoes and Wild Blueberry Mojitos: Our Not Since Moses Tradition
Three years in, and people are telling us they look forward to our wild blueberry mojitos before they even get to the race. Now that’s the kind of feedback a chef likes to hear!
For the past three years, we’ve joined our friends from the wild blueberry association at Not Since Moses, serving up our non-alcoholic wild blueberry mojito and sharing our love for one of Nova Scotia’s finest ingredients. Being part of an event this unique is a treat on its own. Having our drink become something people remember and look forward to makes it even better.
And let’s be honest, when you’ve been making your way across the ocean floor, something cold, fruity and refreshing sounds pretty darn good.
A Race That’s Anything but Ordinary
Not Since Moses isn’t your usual run around the block. Held in Five Islands, Nova Scotia, it takes participants out onto the exposed floor of the Bay of Fundy. The event is timed around exceptionally low tides, giving runners a chance to travel through a landscape that will be underwater again when the tide returns. Add in the coastal cliffs, muddy stretches and spectacular scenery, and you’ve got a race with a personality all its own.
This is probably not the occasion for your nicest white sneakers.
What we love about being there is the chance to connect with people over something delicious. The race gives us the occasion, but those conversations—and hearing that somebody has been looking forward to our drink—are a big part of why it means so much to us.
The participants take care of the running. We’re quite happy taking care of the wild blueberry mojitos!
We Don’t Hold Back on the Good Stuff
Our version is completely non-alcoholic, and there’s nothing shy about it. We bring together lemonade, soda water, Van Dyk’s wild blueberry juice and whole wild blueberries, then load it up with fresh orange, lemon and lime slices, along with plenty of fresh basil and mint.
And when I say plenty, I don’t mean one lonely mint leaf floating around looking for company.
The lemonade brings that familiar sweet-tart flavour, while the soda water adds a lively fizz. The wild blueberry juice gives the drink its beautiful colour and a rich fruit flavour that can stand up to all that citrus.
Van Dyk’s is a lovely fit here. Their juice is made with Nova Scotia wild blueberries, and the wild blueberries are the only ingredient. That gives us a straightforward starting point with plenty of flavour, rather than something we need to dress up to make interesting. vandykblueberries.ca
Then we get to the fresh ingredients. Orange brings a little roundness and sweetness alongside the sharper lemon and lime. Mint gives us that refreshing character we love in a mojito, while basil adds something a little unexpected. It’s fragrant, slightly peppery and especially good with the fruit.
Those generous slices of citrus and fresh herbs aren’t just there to look pretty. They’re a big part of what makes this drink taste so fresh.
Giving Wild Blueberries Their Moment
I’ll always have time for a good wild blueberry pie or a warm wild blueberry grunt, but there’s a lot more we can do with wild blueberries than put them in dessert.
Wild blueberries grow naturally in Atlantic Canada, with growers carefully tending and managing the plants. They’re naturally small, with a distinctive sweet-tangy flavour that makes them particularly useful when you want the fruit to come through in a dish—or a drink. wildblueberryassociation.ca
That’s what I love about using them here. We’ve got citrus, herbs and bubbles all sharing the glass, but the wild blueberries still have their say. Using both the juice and whole wild blueberries makes them a real part of the drink, not just a garnish added at the end.
Being at the race with the wild blueberry association also gives us a chance to put that ingredient in front of people in a different way. Sometimes a refreshing drink is all it takes to get someone thinking beyond their usual muffins or pancakes.
That’s a pretty enjoyable way to start a conversation about local food.
A Tradition Worth Raising a Glass To
A non-alcoholic drink deserves just as much attention as anything else we serve. It should have flavour, freshness and a bit of personality. This one has all three, without needing a drop of rum.
After three years at Not Since Moses, we’re grateful to everyone who has stopped by, enjoyed a glass and told us they were happy to see it back. A big thank-you goes to our friends at the wild blueberry association and to the organisers and volunteers who make the event happen.
Our wild blueberry mojito has become a little tradition within a very memorable race, and we’re proud of that.
Of course, you don’t have to run across the ocean floor to enjoy a drink like this. A chair on the deck will do just fine.
A very generous thank you to Wild Blueberry Producers Association of NS for sponsoring this recipe. It is an honour to work with brands that align with our values and make it possible for us to share these recipes with you
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Wild Blueberry Mojitos
Ingredients
- Wild Blueberry Mojito (Non-Alcoholic)
- Makes: 1 pitcherServes: 4-6
- Ingredients
- 1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
- 1/2 lime, thinly sliced
- 1/2 orange, thinly sliced
- 12 fresh mint leaves
- 6 fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup wild blueberries, fresh or frozen
- 2 cups pink lemonade, chilled
- 1 cup Van Dyk’s wild blueberry juice, chilled
- 2 cups lemonade soda, chilled
- 1-2 cups ice
- Instructions
- Place the lemon, lime and orange slices in a large pitcher along with the mint and basil. Gently muddle with a muddler or the back of a wooden spoon to release the citrus juices and the flavour of the herbs. Avoid crushing the citrus peel too firmly, as this can make the drink bitter.
- Add the wild blueberries, pink lemonade and Van Dyk’s wild blueberry juice. Stir to combine.
- Just before serving, add the ice and pour in the lemonade soda. Stir gently to keep the bubbles.
- Pour into glasses, including some of the wild blueberries and citrus slices in each serving. Enjoy immediately.
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