Tuesday, June 14, 2011

June Cocktail - Mojito



In Mid-August, I'm posting about the June cocktail. Why? Well, the mojito has been difficult for me to figure out. We've made a lot of them and I'm still not sure I have "perfected" a house mojito. Perfected is in the eye of the beholder (me in this case, and I feel there's still work to be done.)

Anyhow, the mojito is above-everything refreshing.

Early in the process, I realized that we loved the mint flavor but don't like a big wad of mind in our glass. We also realized that the the drink can tolerate a significant amount of lime juice.

So, the Localvore Mojito is:
  • 2 ounces rum (more on choice later)
  • 1 ounce lime juice
  • 2 barspoons of confectioners' sugar
  • 10 - 15 leaves of mint (spearmint or peppermint)
  1. In a pint glass, combine lime juice, mint leaves and sugar.
  2. Muddle for a honest 30 seconds (same amount of time if you double or triple the drink).
  3. Add rum.
  4. Add a lot of ice.
  5. Stir.
  6. Strain into glass already filled with ice and rim has been slicked with juiced lime section
  7. Fill glass with mineral water.
  8. Give one quick stir.
A few clarifying points we found:
Confectioners' Sugar - I tried simple syrup, superfine sugar, agave and even made a sirop de canne. Nothing made a nicely sweetened drink like confectioners' sugar. I don't really know why.
Rum - I enjoyed trying a few different rums. A darker rum worked better than white rums. But I don't know if I'd spend a lot of money on a rhum agricole for mojitos. I am trying to keep my bar American and found this Massachusetts rum to be delicious.
Stirred, not shaken - I didn't want so much dilution or frothiness, so I stirred.
Lemon - When making a batch, I substituted lemon for a quarter of the lime and found that it was different but delectable nonetheless.
Bubbles - Whatever you do, do not use something without significant bubbles. It makes the drink more lively and tasty. Again, I don't know why.

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