Mojito, a refreshing cocktail made with mint, lime and sugar, is considered the prince drink of the summer and will soon become your favorite cocktail for all occasions. Whether you decide to stick to the classic recipe or experiment with fresh strawberry and coconut flavors, this article will teach you the secrets to making the perfect mojito.
Ingrediants
Classic Mojito
Portions: 1
- 1-2 teaspoons of brown sugar or maple syrup
- 8 mint leaves
- The juice of half a lime
- 90 ml of white rum
- Sparkling water
- Ice
Strawberry Mojito
Portions: 1
- 1-2 teaspoons of brown sugar or maple syrup
- 4-6 mint leaves
- 4 fresh strawberries, without stalks, cut into quarters
- The juice of half a lime
- 90 ml of white rum
- Sparkling water
- Ice
Coconut Mojito
Portions: 1
- 1-2 teaspoons of brown sugar or maple syrup
- 8 mint leaves
- The juice of half a lime
- 30 ml of coconut cream
- 90 ml of white rum
- Sparkling water
- Ice
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Make a Classic Mojito
Step 1. Find a tall, sturdy glass
A fragile glass may break when you mix it, and on a low one the cocktail will look confused and unsuccessful. If you're afraid your drink is watered down, you can add more rum later. But remember that this cocktail is a cooler, so it should be sipped slowly and not swallowed suddenly.
A pint glass or a Collins glass is best suited for mojito. Beer glasses are thicker, but you may prefer the straight cylinder of Collins glasses
Step 2. Add mint, 2 teaspoons of sugar and lime juice
You should have enough juice to completely cover the sugar and wet it. Since not all limes contain the same amount of juice, half a lime may not be enough. In this case, squeeze out more juice from the remaining half.
- Hierba buena (or yerba buena) is the mint variety used in the traditional Cuban mojito, but it may be easier to find than spearmint. You can also try peppermint or Mentha suaveolens.
- Granular brown sugar is the classic sweetener used in mojito. The grains help crumble the mint when you crush the cocktail.
- You can use maple syrup instead of granular sugar. This way the drink will be uniformly sweet and you will not feel the sugar grains that have not melted.
Step 3. Press the rounded tip of a pestle into the glass and gently rotate it several times
You should stop when the mint smell spreads, before the leaves crumble. You shouldn't pulverize them - the purpose of the beating is to release the oils contained in the leaves. If you crumble the leaves, they will release chlorophyll and the mojito will taste bitter and grassy.
- You could slice half of the lime you squeezed out and add it to the drink before pounding it. The peel can add lime flavor and complexity to the drink. Make sure you don't squeeze the white part of the fruit between the pulp and the skin, though - it's very bitter.
- If you don't have a pestle, you can use the back of a spoon (preferably wooden) or the handle of a rolling pin. The pestles should be made of untreated wood (so that the resin cannot enter the drink) and have a round side and a toothed side.
- If you are not using the hierba buena mint variety, be sure not to put the stems in the drink. In peppermint, the flavor is concentrated in the leaves - the stem contains only bitter chlorophyll and can ruin your drink.
- If you are using hierba buena mint, you should add two whole sprigs, complete with stems. The flavor of the hierba buena comes from the stem, and is more citrusy and herbaceous than other types of mint.
Step 4. Add 90ml of rum
Cuban white rum is traditionally used in classic mojito, but it may be difficult to find in some countries. Alternatively, you can use any light rum (white or silver).
If you want a more alcoholic drink, add more rum. This solution is preferable to using a shallow glass to create a more concentrated drink, as it allows you to sip your mojito anyway
Step 5. Add four ice cubes and fill the glass with carbonated water
Ice cubes are better than crushed ice - the latter would melt more quickly (chilling the cocktail first) and water down the drink.
- Carbonated water has a neutral flavor that won't change that of the mojito. If you prefer, you can use lemon or soda tonic water.
- Garnish with a wedge of lime, a sprig of mint, or a candy cane.
Method 2 of 3: Make a Strawberry Mojito
Step 1. Add mint, sugar, lime juice, and strawberries to a tall, sturdy glass
It is especially important to use a tall glass for the strawberry mojito, as the fruit adds volume to the cocktail. Make sure you prepare the drink in the order described here, so that the mint leaves are protected by the pestle and do not crumble.
- If you don't like the texture of the pounded strawberries, you can blend them in a blender and add them along with the rum. The cocktail will be more velvety and you can even strain the small seeds if you wish.
- Make sure you remove the stalks of the strawberries.
- Since strawberries are naturally sweet, you may want to reduce the amount of sugar (in a classic mojito you add two teaspoons of sugar, in this recipe one may be enough).
Step 2. Press the pestle into the glass and rotate it
If the pestle has a side with spikes, you can use that to mash the strawberries - just make sure the mint leaves are at the bottom of the glass so they don't break. Stir until the strawberries are crushed and have released the juice.
- To avoid releasing the bitter chlorophyll of mint, use only the leaves and not the twigs. Don't crumble the leaves when you crush them. At the end of the preparation they should be crumpled and not torn and pulverized.
- The consistency of the sugar will help release the mint oils. The sugar will also absorb the oils and flavor of the strawberries, making your cocktail even more delicious.
Step 3. Add 90ml of rum and mix to combine all flavors
Better to use a white (or light or silver) rum, maybe Cuban, if you can find it. A dark rum is more alcoholic and adds a strong molasses flavor, which may be unwanted in a mojito. A darker rum will also change the color of the drink - the liquid should instead be clear to show the green and pink of the ingredients.
If you have decided to blend strawberries, add them now. You can also add strawberry slices as an aesthetic touch
Step 4. Add ice cubes and fill the glass with carbonated water
Use enough cubes to fill the glass up to three quarters.
Garnish with a strawberry and a sprig of mint
Method 3 of 3: Make a Coconut Mojito
Step 1. Put the mint leaves, 2 teaspoons of sugar, lime juice and 30ml coconut cream in a tall, sturdy glass
Make sure you shake the coconut cream well before pouring it, as it can settle into the bottle.
- Coconut milk and coconut cream are not interchangeable, so don't try to substitute them. Coconut milk is too thin and does not add the richness of the cream to the cocktail.
- There is a difference between the sugar-free coconut cream and the sweet one similar to condensed milk. If you can only find sugar-free cream, you will need to sweeten it a lot to use it in your cocktails.
- If you can find coconut cream powder, mix it with water to make it thicker and give it the consistency of condensed milk. Taste it before adding it to your cocktail to make sure it's sweet enough.
Step 2. Press the rounded tip of a pestle into the glass and twist it gently
The aroma of mint will spread throughout the room as the essential oils are released - a sign that you should stop stepping. Be careful not to crush too hard: if you break the mint leaves, the drink will be bitter and have a strong weed flavor.
- If you don't have a pestle, use the back of a metal or wooden spoon, or the handle of a rolling pin.
- If you are afraid of making a mistake in the beating phase, you can hold the mint leaves in the palm of your hand and crush them with the other. It won't be as effective, but you will cause the leaves to release some of the oils.
- Let the ingredients rest for a few seconds after crushing them, so that the sugar can absorb the mint and coconut.
Step 3. Pour 90ml of coconut rum
The cream will already give the drink a nice refreshing coconut flavor, so if you don't want to overdo it, use regular white rum.
Mix all the ingredients to blend the flavors and prevent the coconut cream from settling to the bottom of the glass. The drink should turn milky white
Step 4. Fill the glass three-quarters full with ice, then top off the cocktail with sparkling water
Garnish with a sprig of mint, a wedge of lime, or a pinch of grated coconut.
