Mojitos are a refreshing cocktail made with mint, lime, rum and sparkling water or tonic.
Years ago we went to a Tapas restaurant in San Francisco, California called ChaChaChas. There was a large bar in the center of the restaurant and the bartenders were busy muttling mint and sugar and squeezing limes for the classic Cuban cocktail “Mojitos”. They were serving Mojitos up by the pitcher full. I still remember the tapas, or little plates, that we ordered. I had fried plantains, black beans and garlic shrimp.
Here in Italy, thanks to the large communities of Indian and African people, I can get plantains at their little markets sprinkled throughout Italy. I grow the mint in my backyard so I can recreate my own little “ChaChaChas tapas restaurant” whenever I get the craving.
Mojito’s are the perfect summer drink because the mint and lime are so refreshing muttled in a tall glass of ice. We love to sit with friends on the back patio with a cool glass accumulating condensation while contemplating what we will make for dinner.
The traditional way to make Mojitos is with sugar to muttle the mint and sparkling water. Most of us like our drinks a little sweeter and just adding more sugar makes it difficult for he sugar to dissolve in the glass. That’s why I use tonic water. But if you prefer, you can make a simple syrup with water and sugar. 1 cup water to one cup sugar, bring it to a boil or until the sugar dissolves, remove it from the heat and cook completely, you may want to make your simple syrup several hours before hand. Add the simple syrup to your glass to bring it to your desired sweetness, the tonic water is just easier.
Mojitos
Ingredients:
- 1/2 lime
- a few sprigs of fresh mint
- 1 Tablespoon of sugar
- 1 ounce of white rum
- 4 ounces of tonic water or sparkling water and simple syrup
Instructions:
- Fill a tall glass with ice.
- Place the mint in a mortal and pistle with a tablespoon of sugar. Grind the mint leaves up in the sugar. (If you don’t have a mortal & pistle you can tear the mint leaves and place them on a small plate with a spoonful of sugar and use the back of a spoon to muffle it.)
- place the muttled mint and sugar in the glass
- squeeze the lime into the glass. I cut the lime up into two wedges and squeezed them, throwing them into the glass for presentation.
- add the tonic water and stir
- or alternately, make a simple syrup and use seltzer water.
For a seasonal twist on the classic Mojito, try a Prickly Pear Mojito! Just add a few spoonfuls of Prickly Pear Juice to each Mojito before serving.
