One of the things I love most about summer is my ability to have a mojito whenever I want! It’s great to come home from work on a warm day and have a refreshing (and pretty!) drink.
mojito
/məˈhiːtəʊ/
noun (pl) -tos
a cocktail consisting of rum, sugar, lime, mint, and soda water
I discovered and fell in love with mojitos about 15 years ago during a trip to Miami. It’s a cocktail that originated in Cuba. Since my man and my son are part Cuban, we call it our family drink, haha! Once I started growing mint in my yard (which grows back stronger every year), I knew that the mojito would be my signature summer drink. Whenever I have company in the warmer months, I make a mojito for them. Now, people expect me to make mojitos whenever they visit my house! I just make sure I always have tonic water and limes. Sometimes I make one at a time, other times I make a big jug of it for a group of us.
Here’s how I make one mojito:
Ingredients
1/2 lime, sliced
5-10 mint leaves
simple syrup (bring equal parts of water and sugar to a boil)
white rum
tonic water
Directions
Put sliced lime and mint leaves in a glass and muddle
Add 3 ice cubes
Pour in simple syrup according to your level of desired sweetness (I fill the glass about 1/4 the way up)
Add a shot of rum
Fill the glass with tonic water
There are so many ways for you to make this drink your own. My friend Oneka uses brown sugar to make her simple syrup. My dad likes me to make his mojitos with dark rum. Also, I switch up the kind of glasses I use. In this picture, I used wine glasses, but I often use stemless martini glasses, highball glasses, and even clear plastic cups. Some of my guy friends like it better in a more “masculine” looking glass! It’s also fun to add another fruit to the drink. I’ve muddled strawberries, blueberries, watermelon and pineapple with the limes and mint.
Enjoy!