Happy Friday friends! Last week I posted my first cocktail recipe, The French 75. Based on your feedback, many of y’all expressed an interest in my mojito recipe! There are slight variations in this recipe, so don’t be afraid to alter the measurements to your liking.
I will say that very rarely have I ordered a Mojito at a restaurant or bar and enjoyed it more than my homemade concoction. What’s my secret? My mojito’s are potent. I don’t want my drink to be watery or lack flavor. I like the fresh taste of my freshly picked mint, the tartness of freshly squeezed lime, my homemade simple syrup, and of course, the sweet flavor of white rum.
So here you go! In this week’s edition of my cocktail recipe series, here is the fabulous mojito!
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History: This delicious cocktail originated in Cuba, but the history of the mojito has some discrepancies. Some believe that this drink started by Cuban farmers who, to help mask the harsh taste of cheap rum, would add a splash of sugarcane juice and lime with some sprigs of mint. Another theory is that when Sir Francis Drake landed in Cuba in the 1500s, many of his crew suffered from dysentery and scurvy. At the time, the natives used the same ingredients found in a mojito to remedy these illnesses. From there, the drink evolved into one of the most popular cocktail recipes.
Drink if you like: This is the perfect summer drink. It’s cold, limey, bubbly, and very refreshing. I love making this drink when I have friends and family over. It’s always a popular crowd pleaser.
Recipe (makes two drinks):
-30 mint leaves + 2 small sprigs of mint
-1.5-2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice (roughly 2 limes)
-1.5 oz* simple syrup
-5 oz white rum
-2 oz club soda
Instructions:
1. *Make your own simple syrup, it is significantly better than store bought! To do this, slowly heat 1 cup of water on your stove. Add 1 cup of sugar and stir until fully dissolved. Store in a mason or glass jar and refrigerate. Make sure it’s cold before making your cocktail!
2. Put the mint leaves, lime juice, and simple syrup in the shaker. Muddle the mint leaves by applying a small amount of pressure and slowly twisting your muddler. Be careful to not muddle too roughly. You want to extract the natural mint oil from the leaves, but you don’t want to tear the mint leaves to shreds. I do this for about 30 seconds.
(Note: I use 2 oz of lime because I love the strong lime flavor in my drink. You might want to add 1.5 oz if you like it less limey.)
3. Fill your shaker over halfway full of ice. Add the rum and stir.
4. Begin to prepare your drink (I like to use mason jars) by filling them almost completely full with ice. Add a sprig of mint and sliced limes for added flavor and presentation.
5. Add the club soda and stir. I do this step last because I want to preserve as much carbonation as possible.
6. Put the top on the shaker and pour into your glass! Add a straw and presto! Enjoy your drink!
