Mojito Season | Recipe

If I could give an award to a citrus fruit, I’d crown every little lime I could find. I love limes. Not just because they’re tasty and transport me to the Central American beaches of my daydreams, but because they have this infinite and wonderful way of brightening and adding depth to food and drink without making it all about the lime. Limes are like a really good friend to anything they go in – they’re there for your sauce or cocktail or salad, but it’s really about balance and making sure the main ingredient shines through in all of its glory. But the lime doesn’t want to be overlooked or forgotten completely. It’s like: hey, i’m here, but we’re better together, monsieur mojito. And monsieur mojito had the good sense to pair this award-winning citrus (let’s go with it) with mint.

The origin of the mojito is a disputed history, but I think we can accept that Havana, Cuba, is the mojito’s home. There’s some speculation about an early version of the drink conjured up by Sir Francis Drake. It’s possible, if not likely, that the name came from the word ‘mojo,’ which means ‘to place a little spell,’ used by African slaves working on sugar plantations in the Caribbean. Ernest Hemmingway loved the cocktail almost as much as he loved Cuba (which was a lot) and helped to popularize the drink. One thing I know for sure is that mojitos are ubiquitous in Cuba, and I know this because I drank more than one every day I was there, in every city/beach/town I visited. And I’m not even afraid to admit that because you and I both know you’d do the same.

But even if you’re not an Ernest Hemmingway fan or your environment isn’t that of the sexy, salty Caribbean, I believe the mojito can still offer you a tremendous amount of summer happy hour joy. I could wax on in much the same way about mint as I did about lime, but I’ll just say that I also love mint and I think mint’s a great friend too. Lime and mint are the best friends rum could ask for, and the mojito is a celebration of that friendship. So it makes for a good way to celebrate any friendship. You and your bestie, you and your lover, you and the summer sunshine, whatever. Remember, the flavor you taste is a product of your perception, which is affected by so much more than what your taste buds pick up on that first sip. Basically, your mojito will be at peak deliciousness when you’re sipping it out of your favorite cocktail glass in good company while the sun is shining on your rosy cheeks and the birds are chirping just as someone tells a really good joke. (Or whatever sort of scenario makes you extra happy…) So, in celebration of the Summer Solstice, here’s a very simple mojito recipe that requires only that famed trio of best friends with some ice and sweetness, your intuition, and your taste buds.

Ingredients

makes one 1/2 pint glass

6+ mint leaves
ice cubes
1 shot of white rum (Flor de Caña is my fave)
club soda
1 lime
dash of simple syrup (I make it with muscovado or turbinado sugar – they are not white, just way more delicious)

Instructions

As with anything, taste this as you prepare it, and adjust amounts to suit your tastes. Intuition is the most important ingredient in any recipe. Making a mojito is a great way to exercise that intuition.

Start by muddling your mint leaves with a splash of lime juice either in a mortar and pestle or right in your glass with a spoon. The goal is to break the leaves to release the oils and aromas, so you just want to beat them up a little. Add the ice cubes to the glass and and pour that shot of rum on them. Fill the glass almost full with club soda. Top off your tasty drink with the juice of half a lime and a splash of simple syrup (intuition reigns here – you decide how limey and/or sweet you want it to be!). Mix that up, put a little lime wedge on the edge, and prepare yourself for summer beverage bliss. Enjoy!