Very few cocktails out there can stand a lot of adaptation with out losing their essence and name. The Martini come comes to mind, but today I’d like to tell you about Mojitos. Like most classic cocktails the mojito comes from an era where if you wanted to make that spirit go down a little smoother, you grabbed a few choice ingredients, and muddled them in a glass. Today with all the mixes, purees, and blenders out there; The Mojito is one of the few cocktails out there still made one at a time, muddled in a glass, just like the old days.
The basic mojito goes something like this:
- Ingredients
- 2oz. silver rum
- 1oz. club soda
- juice of half a lime. (about 1/2oz)
- 4-5 mint leaves
- tsp fine sugar
Directions
Combine mint, sugar, and lime juice in glass and muddle. You’re not trying to turn the mint into pulp, just crush it enough to release its essential oils. A fresh minty aroma will tell you when to stop.
Add the ice, rum and soda, and shake well.
If you like, garnish with a lime wedge and a sprig of mint.
Now that you have that down, next time you want to have a mixer, have a muddler instead. Have everyone bring berries or fruit of their choosing. Raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries work great. Fresh ripe mango, kiwi, and even melons work too, you just have to cut them up into small bits first. As the host, have some basics to get started.
- Ingredients
- 1 liter bottle silver rum $20
- 20 limes $5
- 1 large bunch fresh mint $2
- 1 container fresh strawberries (12oz) $4
- 1 container blueberries (6oz) $4
- small box fine sugar $1.25
- 1 2-liter bottle club soda $1.50
- 1 bag of ice $3
Total Cost of Ingredients $40.75
Directions
Make your mojitos as per above instructions, but add the fruit or berries in the muddling stage. I like to leave things out and let people make their own. See what people come up with. Happy muddling!
Some extra advice:
- Mint: Try to find the bunch with the biggest leaves.
- Sugar: Fine grain melts fastest. But you can always simplify by making a simple syrup instead: In sauce pan combine two parts water with one part sugar, stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Or you can buy a bottle of sugar cane juice.
