The mojito may be my favorite cocktail. When the weather warms up, there are few things more refreshing than a tall glass of minty, sweet and tart goodness. I take an atypical approach to my mojito, however. If you’ve ever ordered one at a bar or restaurant, you’ve probably received a clear liquid with a few whole mint leaves swimming around. Tasty, but not nearly as tasty as it could be. I consider the amount of mint, and the degree to which it gets muddled, to be entirely insufficient for my tastes when it’s made correctly.
You’ll notice that my mojitos are green. Really green. In fact, the xxx in the name is because it’s obscenely minty. Don’t worry – it’s not toothpaste minty. Just really fresh, green, delicious minty, which is offset beautifully with sweet and tart elements. I use a lot of mint, and I muddle it really well. Seriously – I don’t “bruise” it – I pulverize it. Don’t worry about those lovely little pieces of mint leaves floating around – they only enhance the aromatic qualities of this beautiful beverage from Cuba. The holes in a typical cocktail shaker lid will allow only the smallest pieces through; or, you can pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer before serving if you prefer to have no pieces of mint.
exxxtra-minty mojito
- About 25 fresh mint leaves
- Half a fresh lime, juiced
- 1/8 tsp sugar (the coarser, the better)
- Two shots of light rum (I like Bacardi Limón for this recipe)
- Lemon-lime soda
Put the mint leaves in a cocktail shaker. Add the fresh lime juice and then sprinkle the sugar on top, and muddle well. Really well. Like, to the point where there are no leaves, only bits and pieces. Add the rum and some ice, cover, and shake well. Put ice into two 6-8 ounce glasses and strain equal amounts of the contents of the shaker into the two glasses. Fill glasses with lemon-lime soda and stir gently. Makes two mojitos.
