The Mojito is a traditional Cuban mixed drink consisting of white rum, lime, mint, sugar and sparkling water. Sounds simple, right? Well, making a really excellent mojito has its challenges. Trying to dissolve sugar in an icy beverage never works out too well and all those crushed mint leaves get stuck in the straw, cramping your summer time mojito sipping style! Ive found that the easiest way to add sugar and a burst of mint flavor without these pesky problems is to start with a Mint simple syrup:
Start by adding a handful of mint leaves into a small saucepan.
Next add 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water.
Bring to a boil stirring constantly until sugar is completely dissolved.
Reduce heat and let simmer undisturbed for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and run through a sieve or cheese cloth into a jar. Keep cool in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Now to start our Mojitios! You will need sugar, ice, mint syrup, rum, tonic water, and limes.
Start by running a halved lime around the top of the cocktail glass.
Now dip the rim of the cup into the sugar.
Add a tablespoon of mint syrup to your cup.
Add ice to glass.
Add a shot of white rum. I used Bacardi because I had some on hand but any white rum will do!
Pour in the tonic water. You may also use club soda, or lemon lime soda like sprite or 7-up if you like it really sweet. Leave a little room in the top of the glass for the lime!
Squeeze in the juice of 1/2 of a lime.
Give it a good stir and garnish with the lime slice and a few mint leaves and enjoy!
That, my culinary friends is how to construct the perfect mint mojito!
Mojito Magic
Ingredients
- sugar for rimming glass
- 1 T mint simple syrup
- 1 c ice
- 1 shot white rum
- 1 c tonic water
- 1/2 lime
Instructions
- start by rubbing a halved lime around the top of the glass and dip the glass into sugar.
- add 1 T mint syrup into glass.
- add 1 shot rum.
- fill glass with ice.
- top off with tonic water.
- squeeze 1/2 lime juice into cocktail.
- garnish with lime and mint leaf.
Oh, you are good! You are very very good! I’m sending this to my daughters who love mojitos.
That looks so refreshing. I want one, right now, at 11 in the morning and however hot it is, so maybe hold the rum. There’s the not-so-small issue of not wanting to turn on the stove, though. I think I might corrupt your recipe and try the mint syrup in the microwave or like sun tea.