It’s Mojito Time!
On this Memorial Day weekend, Boston’s humid summer has reared its ugly headand caused me to wilt. Living on the top floor of an old building withoutcentral AC sure doesn’t help, and the anemic window unit only torments me.The solution? Ice cold booze. The usual go to drink for me would be an extremelycold lager, but there are none in the fridge and liquor stores are closedon Memorial Day. What to do?For this edition of the Carnivalof Drinking featuring “drinks that you liketo serve at the barbecues, grill outs, picnics or what not that you’llbe attending this Memorial Day weekend, or in the summer months in general”,I decided to focus on the mojito. Unfortunately, this is moreinvolved than pulling off a bottle cap, but the drink just screams summer(and I happen to have all the necessary ingredients). The mojito is cold,minty, and effervescent, which adds up to being exceptionally refreshing.Just don’t drink too many of them, or you might start feeling warm againfrom the alcohol! My recipe is as follows:
May 30th, 2006 at 12:13 pm
I have a good friend who has made the Mojito her trademark drink, and she insists the secret to making a good one is using fresh mint, and adding /preparing the ingredients in a specific order. I don’t know the exact recipe, but they always come out fantastically refreshing, not too sweet, and *just enough* zip to let you know you’re actually drinking a cocktail.
May 30th, 2006 at 2:49 pm
I’ve found that I prefer a slightly richer taste than many mojitos have, so I adjust ingredients accordingly. Most recently I’ve started by placing a generous half-teaspoon of turbinado sugar (”Sugar in the Raw”) in the bottom of a glass, along with 2-3 mint sprigs, the juice of half a lime, and the empty half-lime shell. Muddle until mint is crushed and sugar is mostly dissolved, let sit for a few minutes in order for the mint to diffuse into the liquid a bit, then strain the mix into another, preferably chilled, glass. Fill w/ ice cubes, add 2 oz Bacardi Añejo, stir a couple of times, then add just a touch of plain soda water. Float a spoonful of Lemon Hart Demerara 151 on top. Garnish w/ lime wedge, add straw, enjoy.
It’s nice to be able to add a half-stick (split lengthwise, that is) of raw sugar cane as a “stirring rod”; the sugar cane soaks up some liquid and is fun to gnaw on.
May 30th, 2006 at 4:00 pm
A sugar cane stick is one of the best parts of mojitos at certain places. Alas, I have no desire to splurge on it, so I don’t do it for myself.
The use of Lemon Hart Demerara 151 is new to me but sounds good. I’ll have to try it. I’m not sure where I can get it around here, though.
May 30th, 2006 at 4:01 pm
If you ever get the recipe, do let me know (unless she swears you to secrecy or threatens to chop off a finger)!