The warm weather’s here in the Northern Hemisphere. The official first day of summer just passed and that means it’s high time to switch your boozing habits into refreshing drink mode. Your guests (hopefully) expect something more than wine coolers, tasteless NASCAR beers, and Zima (yes, believe it or not, they still make Zima).
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Aside from just knowing to tilt the damn glass before he pours a beer, any guy worth his salt should also know how to make at least one good cocktail. The traditional Cuban mojito is one that just about any lady will love and, since it’s not pink and/or served in a sugar-rimmed Martini glass, self-respecting men don’t mind it either. Crafting a tasty cocktail is a great skill to have when on the road as you just might be able to impress future hosts and friends alike. Fortunately, the mojito recipe couldn’t be simpler and the ingredients can be found almost anywhere.
You need:
- Highball glass
- Soda water/seltzer
- Light rum (I recommend Bacardi Silver)
- Simple syrup (basically sugar water)
- 12 mint leaves
- 1/2 lime
- Ice
Directions:
First, make the simple syrup. Find an average size water bottle (approximately 0.5-1 liter). Fill it half-way with piping hot water (doesn’t have to be boiling). Fill the rest of the bottle with granulated sugar. Shake vigorously until the sugar is completely dissolved. This recipe will keep almost indefinitely if refrigerated.
Now, the actual mojito:
- Drop 12 mint leaves into the glass
- Slice your 1/2 lime into quarters and place in glass
- Pour approximately 2 tbsp. simple syrup into the glass. Once you’ve made a few mojitos, you may wish to adjust this to taste.
- Using a large wooden spoon, gently muddle (or “crush”) all ingredients against the bottom of the glass. The key here is gently. The goal is to softly release the taste and aroma of the ingredients and not to demolish same into paste.
- Fill the glass 2/3 with ice.
- Add 1.5 ounces rum.
- Top with soda water/seltzer
- Stir gently with a bar spoon
- Serve with a wedge of lime
Done! Sip and enjoy. This is truly the perfect “sitting on the porch watching the sun go down” cocktail.
Side note: the Bacardi mojito website has a few fruity variations on this recipe. For me, the above is the mojito in its simplest, truest, and tastiest form.