Mojito

Ahh Mojito. We know you’re a hot weather drink, but we like making you all year round. In summer, we want something refreshing, and you’re the first that springs to mind. And in winter, we say we need to make use of all the mint in the flourishing mint bush. Really, making one of you doesn’t even make a dent in even a tiny mint plant. We just need any half hearted excuse to make you!!

Ingredients in Mojito

10 mint leaves 30 ml / 1 oz lime juice 60 ml / 2 oz white rum 30 ml / 1 oz sugar syrup (equal parts sugar and water) 1/2 cup club soda / soda water

Club soda and soda water are the same thing. It’s water that’s been artificially carbonated. Strictly speaking, you should not use sparkling mineral water because it has the flavour of natural minerals in it and it’s not quite as fizzy. But it’s a fine substitute!

Best rum for Mojito

Bacardi is the classic choice and the most well known. It’s a Puerto Rican white rum so it’s on-theme for Mojito which has Cuban origins!

How to make Mojito

Place mint, lime and sugar in glass, bruise mint leaves with muddler or pestle. If you don’t have one, jut crush the mint really well in your hands then drop them in; Add ice, then rum and soda water, then mix; then Garnish with lime and more mint!

Mojito Tips!

The key to a great Mojito is bruising the mint leaves using a muddler (or pestle!) in the glass so it releases flavour into the drink. This process of squishing the mint leaves in the glass (depicted above) is called muddling. It’s a cocktail making terminology and technique. Some bar tenders like to also muddle lime wedges in the glass. I prefer not to do this for 2 reasons: Also, one final tip – use sugar syrup, not sugar granules. It’s hard (and annoying) to make sugar granules dissolve. Nobody wants grainy sugar crunch in their mojito!

What to serve with Mojito

We love Mojitos for their freshness so they are great served with creamy dips with salty chips! These are my personal favourites to pair with Mojitos:

Homemade French Onion Dip or shortcut French Onion SOUP Mix Dip with potato crisps – the minty freshness with the sweet-savoury caramelised onion dip is 👌🏻; Cucumber Canapes with Smoked Salmon Mousse – right on theme with the freshness of this drink; Guacamole and corn chips – very fitting; For a fresh option, you can’t go past Restaurant Style Salsa – flavour you can’t buy in a jar! Pig Out Salsa (chorizo, corn and bean salsa) is terrifically on theme too!

Cocktail hour is upon us. Time for a mojito!! 🍹🍹 – Nagi x