{"id":116,"date":"2010-09-09T11:09:39","date_gmt":"2010-09-09T15:09:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chefjudigallagher.com\/scrumptious\/?p=116"},"modified":"2011-03-26T19:09:10","modified_gmt":"2011-03-26T23:09:10","slug":"the-magic-of-mojitos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chefjudigallagher.com\/scrumptious\/the-magic-of-mojitos\/","title":{"rendered":"The Magic of Mojitos"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mojito. <\/em>It\u2019s fun to say, isn\u2019t? The word rolls off the tip of the tongue\u2014much like the sweet, minty drink itself. Mojitos are one of my favorite summer cocktails\u2014light and frothy, they\u2019re cool and just beg to be sipped in warmer weather.<\/p>\n

Mojitos are of Cuban origin\u2014and in fact, they\u2019re highballs. Traditional mojitos are made of five ingredients and served in a Collins glass: white rum, sugar cane juice, lime, sparkling water, and mint. Mojito preparation consist of the following steps: adding lime juice to the sugar and mint leaves, then gently mashing the mixture with a muddler. (The mint leaves, I should tell you, are meant only to be bruised to release their delicious essential oils\u2014they shouldn\u2019t be shredded.) Then, rum is added and the mixture should briefly be stirred to dissolve the sugar and float the mint sprigs to the top of the glass. Finally, throw in a couple of ice cubes and top with sparkling water, then garnish with lime wedges and additional mint leaves.<\/p>\n

Some of the best mojitos I\u2019ve had, however, veer off the beaten path of the traditional Cuban formula. Try making your next mojito with flavored vodka\u2014like mango, lychee, or mandarin\u2014for an exotic twist. Or, for a distinctly Mexican version of the drink, substitute tequila. There\u2019s also the dirty mojito, which calls for spiced rum, brown sugar syrup, key limes, crushed mint, and soda, and that one sounds especially delicious as well. The point, however\u2014as is true with any culinary pursuit\u2014is to make something uniquely yours, something that you\u2019ll always enjoy and that you\u2019ll look forward to sharing with friends. Summer sips are meant to be shared, after all!<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s one of my favorite recipes for traditional mojitos, originally published in the much-missed Gourmet <\/em>magazine in 1943. A classic, indeed.<\/p>\n

Sloppy Joe\u2019s Mojito<\/strong><\/p>\n

Adapted from <\/em>Gourmet magazine<\/em><\/p>\n