Mojito recipe:
- 2 sprigs of mint
- 1 oz. simple syrup
- 2 oz. white rum
- 1/2 lime (quartered)
- club soda
Directions:
Strip the leaves from one sprig of mint. Place in shaker cup. Put lime quarters on top of mint. Muddle. (Putting the limes on top of the mint helps prevent bruising the mint which causes it to be bitter.) Add simple syrup and rum. Shake. Strain into high ball glass filled with ice. Add club soda until filled. Garnish with other sprig of mint.
Tammy Coxen with Tammy’s Tastings says the recent stories out of Cuba from Michigan Radio’s Tracy Samilton made her think about Cuban cocktails.
The island nation was the origin of many classic cocktails. The most popular is the mojito.
There is only one alcohol in this drink: rum.
For this recipe, Coxen is using Water Hill Rum from Ann Arbor Distilling Company. Water Hill is an Ann Arbor neighborhood.
Coxen gets her mint from her front yard.
Michigan produces a fair amount of wild mint and peppermint, although the industry has fallen off in recent years because of cheap imports.
If you’re not lucky enough to have mint in your yard, you can usually find fresh mint at the grocery store or farmers market.
What makes Coxen’s mojito a little different is how she muddles the mint in the mixing cup. By putting lime quarters on top of the mint and then muddling, the lime cushions the impact. That method avoids bruising the mint and has the additional benefit of expressing lime oils from the peel. That adds flavor.
If you want to go all out Michigan, make your mojito with Faygo Club Soda.
