Saturday, July 25, 2009

My Mint Mojitos



When I was a little girl, I used to love to mix up "potions" - usually the remnants of nearly empty shampoo and lotion bottles, mixed with a few squirts of hand soap and perhaps some bubble bath. I'd put my potion in a bottle and mix it up, and then attempt to sell it to my Mom, her friends, whoever was around. Yep, I was the little entrepreneur.

Well, Mom should have known back then that her little potion-mixer (apothecary, perhaps?) would be a bartender one day. During my brief career as a mixologist, my absolute favorite drinks to make were the ones that had many ingredients: Bloody Marys, Long Island Ice Teas, etc. Even better than that? A drink that requires a muddler. I love to muddle. What can I say? Dirty martinis, mint juleps, mojitos . . . Muddling just plain rocks.

So here is a great muddled-up cocktail to refresh you on a hot summer afternoon: My Mint Mojitos. See if you can muddle your way through this one! (I couldn't resist . . .)

My Mint Mojitos

The leaves from one good sprig of mint (8-10 large leaves)
1 tablespoon sugar
Ice
2-3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 shot (1 oz.) of light rum
about 1/3 cup of club soda
1 sprig of mint for garnish

Prepare your serving glass with ice, and set aside.

In a shaker (or a glass, if you don't have a shaker), place the mint leaves and the sugar. Using a muddler (or any blunt-ended kitchen tool), mash up the mint leaves into the sugar until they release their oils and become very fragrant.

Next, add some ice, the lime juice, and the rum. Shake (if you're using a shaker) or stir (if you're using a glass). Pour the mixture over the ice in your prepared serving glass, straining the leaves out if desired. (Personally, I don't desire.) Top with club soda and garnish with a mint sprig. Enjoy!


11 comments:

Erin said...

What a great classic cocktail! I've only had one once, but I'll have to try your version.

Cate said...

Is it bad that I want to buy a mint plant just for mojitos?
Love the photo!

Ashley Pepitone said...

OK dirty martinis are my drink of choice and I've never seen anyone muddle anything while making one. Do tell.
PS- mojitos are even BETTER when you muddle some fresh strawberries with the mint!

Ellie said...

Queenie - try muddling a couple of olives with the dry vermouth - it really kicks up the dirty factor!!!

ashley said...

LOVE mojitos!

Mere said...

This is by far my favorite drink, but not many bars around here carry simple syrup, so I never get them anymore. Perhaps its time now for me to try a hand at it.

What's Cookin Chicago said...

This and your recent recipes all look wonderful! What I would do for a mojito right now... I've been on a slight commenting hiatus with my busy schedule lately... but it's great to catch up and see what's cooking in your kitchen!

Becca said...

Wow, what beautiful color this has got. Most mojitos I've seen are clear with a bit of crushed mint at the bottom of the glass, but you can tell that you've really infused the entire drink with the mint. Looks really good.

Kristen616 said...

This looks fantastic!! And your photos are just lovely!

Jessica - The Novice Chef said...

What a gorgeous picture!!

skoraq cooks said...

It's a pity that I'm currently at work and can't have one mojito to get through the day. Your photo is really great :-)

 

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