Mojito, a traditional Cuban cocktail adopted by the United States and hugely popular in the 1980’s has jumped back into style. The cocktail is a sweet drink, containing a good deal of sugar and often topped with a few mint leaves. You can use a selection of bitters to cut the sweetness factor and still have an enjoyable summer drink.
Don’t let the seasons fool you, there is no reason to stop drinking Mojito’s just because the leaves turn color or snow falls. Start a fire (preferably in a fireplace) and sip Mojito’s all year long. The citrus flavors and mint will keep you refreshed while masking the rum flavor so you can stick to a lower grade light/silver rum or a flavor rum. I prefer a “Mango Mojito” and usually use Captain Morgan Parrot Bay Mango Rum to equip my drink with a kick.
I’m a busy guy so I choose to use a pre-created Mojito Mix when building my drinks. When I’m hosting a card game or otherwise entertaining guests I really don’t feel like breaking down the ingredients by teaspoon measurements, making sure I have all the intended products… I want to drink and so do the party participants. We lean towards Rose’s Mango Mojito Mix because it’s fast and easy and has a recipe right on the back of the bottle!
I do try, however, to get myself some fresh mint leaves from a family members garden or at the store when available. Other than that, here is how we build ’em:
1 oz. – 2 oz. Parrot Bay Mango Rum (2 oz. for some additional punch in the face)
4 oz. Rose’s Mango Mojito Mix
1/2 oz. Rose’s Lime Juice (or just leave it out if you like)
1 – 2 mint leaves
Crushed Ice
Some folks like to muddle the mint and lime juices, I just stuff it all in a shaker and go wild – nothing fancy. If you’re into mint you can double or triple the amount of leaves you use, personally I don’t care for a huge minty explosion and just go for a lighter mint flavor. This is especially true if you’re doing a mango flavored drink as there is no reason to explode your mouth with too many flavors and take away from the experience.
The final product will be a lightly yellow sweet drink with a bit of a hidden kick. You’re guests will find they can easily put down two or three Mango Mojito’s before they realize it and walking may become an issue.
Of course, if you do serve a large quantity of Mojito’s at your next festivity, remember to hide the car keys… don’t let your friends do something stupid.
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