Typical Ingredients of a Mojito
Collins Glass
From sippy to solo, mojitos can be served in any type of cup. The traditional way to serve a mojito, however, is in a Collins glass. A Collins glass is known for being a tall, thin glass with a heavy base. Expect a Collins glass to hold 10-15 ounces of mojito goodness. You may wish to actually make the mojito in a separate container and then pour the contents into the serving glass afterwards to avoid mis-proportioning the ingredients until you know the size of your glass.
Mint Leaves
The methanol maverick of mojito making, mint leaves add the flavor and image to our magical mixture. Two to four mint leaves per drink start off our cocktail on the right foot. If picked from the sprig, it can be added to add garnishment to the finished drink. Place the mint leaves at the bottom of the glass before adding other ingredients. Mashed with the muddler, mint leaves make a mojito madness more epidemic than cosmopolitan craziness.
Sugar
The catalyst of the Cuban cocktail concoction, sugar balances out the bitterness of the lovely lime and leaves of mint. There are a variety of methods for adding sugar into the mix, including powdered sugar, sugary syrup, or rimming sugar on the glass alone. For the sugar scared, some specialized mojito mixes provide a sugar-free alternative (look for Baja Bob’s Mojito mix in the Marketplace for one) or you can use Splenda. Sugar cane syrup called “guarapo” may be the ingredient for the
affectionados amongst us. Regardless of the sugar style or substitution, situate the sugar in with lime juice and mint leaves before crushing it all together with the muddler.
Lime Juice
From a can or squeezed by hand, lime juice adds the citrus style to the mojito. Some recipes call for the juice but not the lime and others for the lime but not the juice. If you use a fresh-squeezed lime, the remaining slices can be added to the glass for garnishment. If “freshly squeezed” to you involves a can opener instead, please remember to recycle. Whichever you prefer, the liquid of the legendary lime should be added liberally with the mint leaves and sugar after being grinded.
Crushed Ice
The magical attributes of a mojito are only unlocked in the presence of crushed ice. No cube can do. Proprietors of high quality refrigerators will find the ice maker can dispense finely crushed ice for you. For the working class who do not have crushed ice, simply place ice cubes in a plastic bag. Throw the bag of ice at a nearby friend. The resulting fight will result in many tosses and stomps of the ice and will thoroughly crush it. Make sure to add the ice after mashing with the muddler or you will end up with re-crushed crushed ice and no mojito.
Rum
Not just for pirates anymore, rum is the secret ingredient that makes a mojito a muse for miscreants and magistrates alike. Traditionalists may prefer a traditional White Rum such as Bacardi Superior, but the advent of alcoholic alchemy has recently resulted in raspberry, apple, coconut, and other flavored rums that will do in a pinch. Responsibly ration the rum and add it to the cocktail after the crushed ice and before the club soda. “To alcohol, the cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems!”
Club Soda
The final phase for formulating a mojito involves the bubbly beverage club soda. Expect equal or 3 parts club soda to rum based on the recipe chosen. Add the club soda as the final ingredient, after stirring the rest of the mixture. Some additional stirring may be required based on individual tastes. Once you are done, it is time to indulge and enjoy your magnificent mojito. Enjoy! Suddenly short of soda water? Try champagne instead, but take it a little bit slower.