It's Friday! Mojito Medley!

Ahh The Mojito.
The ultimate go to drink, for me. When in doubt I always pick a mojito.

The mojito (pronounced mo-HEE-toe), which has become very popular over the last few years. It's easy to make and is quite refreshing, as well. You might say that it's a Cuban version of a Mint Julep. The drink also has an interesting and varied history.
Supposedly, the drink's name, "mojito," comes from the African word "mojo," which mean "to place a spell." But Africa does not get to claim the mojito as its own drink - that right belongs to Cuba where many claim it was crafted by slaves working in sugar cane fields in the late 1800s. Others say that in fact Sir Francis Drake takes honors for creating the mojito as far back as the 1500s. Legend has it that English pirate Sir Richard Drake prepared the first version of the drink using aguardiente (a primitive version of rum). He mixed it with some sugar, lime and mint, and there he had an early version of today's popular drink. According to the story the drink was originally called "El Draque" (or "The Dragon" after Drake's boss Sir Francis). The mojito made its way to Cuba when these pirates landed there on treasure hunting expeditions through the Carribean and Latin America. It was originally consumed for medicinal purposes. Once rum replaced the aguardiente, the mojito was born.

Such pedigree!

 It is not easy to make a perfect mojito. Sometimes it is  too sweet, sometimes just a tad too strong. There has to be a perfect balance. More commerical restaurants tend to go for sweet because it induces people to buy more and drink more.
I say make it right every time and you will have a fan for life.

 I present to you the fans, The Mojito in all its variations and we will start with something exotic, the Kumquat.


Kumquat Mojito
21/2 kumquats, halved
8 fresh mint leaves
Ice
2 oz white rum.
1 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz Simple syrup
Muddle the kumquats and mint leaves in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and the rum, lime juice and simple syrup and shake vigorously. Pour the contents including the fruit and mint into a Collins glass and serve.
Enjoy!

Ginger Twilight Mojito
2 or 3 sugar cubes
I slice of fresh ginger
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 oz spiced rum
3 oz club soda
2 slices crystallized ginger

Muddle the sugar cubes, fresh ginger and lime juice in a highball or old fashioned glass.
Fill the glass with ice cubes. Add the spiced rum, then pour the soda. Stir well with a bar spoon or swizzle stick. Spear two slices of crystallized ginger on a cocktail pick and place it in the drink, resting it along the side of the glass
Enjoy!

Mojito(Simple)
11/2 oz light rum
1 tsp simple syrup
juice of one fresh lime
Soda water
Mint leaves
Muddle mint leaves with simple syrup in a chilled old fashioned glass. Add cracked ice,lime juice and rum.
Fill with soda water and garnish with more fresh mint leaves.

Strawberry-Ginger Mojito
Ice
2 oz white rum
2 oz Strawberry Puree( recipe follows) or purchased
1/4 oz simple syrup
1/4 oz fresh or bottles ginger juice
1/4 fresh lime juice
1/4 oz fresh lemon juice
Fresh Strawberry for garnish
1 sprig fresh mint.

Fill a double rocks glass and a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the rum, strawberry puree, simple syrup , and ginger, lime, and lime juices to the shaker and shake vigorously. Strain into the glass with the strawberry and mint sprig.
Enjoy!
Strawberry Puree Recipe
1 cup fresh hulled strawberries.
2 tablespoons simple syrup
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
In a blender or food processor, combine the strawberries and simple syrup as needed or add lemon juice. Strain through a fine mesh sieve. Makes about a 1.2 cup.

Muddler


Sake Mojito
2 sugar cubes
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
1 oz fresh lime juice
3 oz sake
2 oz club soda
1 lemon slice and fresh mint for garnish
Put the sugar cubes, mint leaves, and lime juice in the bottom of a sturdy highball glass. With a muddler, firmly but gently pound and grind the ingredients together until the sugar cubes are crushed and partially dissolved.
Fill the glass with ice cubes. Add the sake and then pour in the soda. Stir well with a swizzle stock or bar spoon. Garnish with the lemon slice folded on a cocktail pick and the mint sprig, and serve.

Winter Mojito
Ice cubes and crushed ice
2 teaspoons Drunken Cranberries(recipe follows), plus 2 teaspoons of their liquid
2 lime wedges
8 sprigs of fresh mint, plus mint leaves for garnish
21.2 oz dark rum
Soda to taste.
Fill glass with ice cubes. Muddle 1 teaspon of the drunken cranberries and 2 teaspoons of heir liquid, the lime wedges and the mint srpings in a cocktail shaker. Add the rum and crushed ice and shake vigorously. Strain into the glass and top with soda water. Garnish the drink with a few mint leaves and the remaining teaspoon of drunken cranberries and serve.
 Drunken Cranberries recipe
11/2 cups simple syrup
2 cinnamon sticks
Zest of 1 large orange.
1 cip fresh cranberries
11/2 cups white rum
In a large saucepan combine the simple syrup,cinnamon sticks and the orange zest. Bring to a boil over medium to high heat and add the cranberries. Cook for about 1 minute, the cranberry skin should begin to split. Let cool partially from heat. Strain the liquid into a large glass jar and then add the cranberries(remove zest and cinnamon). Add the rum. If the cranberries are not covered add simple syrup/rum until they are covered. Let cool totally and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 weeks . About 3 cups

Mojito Royale!
4 mint leaves or 2 springs
1 tsp superfine sugar or sugar syrup
Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lime
2 fl oz of white rum
Soda water
Lime wedge
Muddle the mint, sugar and lime juice in a cocktail shaker, add half the rum and shake well.
Strain into a champagne flute, top off with well chilled champagne and decorate with mint.

Watermelon Mojito
Ice
Four 1 inch cubes of fresh watermelon.
6 fresh mint leaves, plus mint sprigs for garnish.
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
21/2 oz white rum
Soda water to taste.
Fill glass with ice. Muddle the watermelon and mint leaves in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and lime juice, simple syrup and add rum and shake vigorously. Strain into the glass and top with soda water.Garnish with the mint sprigs and serve.

Coco Limon Mojito
1 or 2 sugar cubes
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 oz coconut flavored rum( Malibu)
3 oz lemon flavored soda
1 strip lemon zest about 3 inches long for garnish
In the bottom of the highball glass, combine the sugar cubes, mint leaves and lemon juice. Firmly but gently pound and grind the ingredients together with a muddler, until the sugar is crushed and partially dissolved.
Fill the glass with ice. Add the coconut flavored rum, then pour in the lemon soda. Stir well with a bar spoon or swizzle stick. garnish with the lemon zest, skewered on a cocktail pick and fresh mint.

This will be my signature drink for the summer, easy to make!

Lychee and Raspberry Mojito
1 teaspoon superfine sugar or simply syrup
fresh squeezed juice of 1 lime
2 fl oz of white rum
Ice cubes
Soda water
Muddle 1 peeled, pitted,chopped fresh lychee( or 1 canned lychee drained) and 4 raspberries with the mint sugar and lime juice, but do this in the glass rather than a jug so the fruit can be enjoyed with the drink.

Rum Choices

Goshlings http://www.goslingsrum.com/
Barcardi Silver Barcardi Silver
Malibu http://www.malibu-rum.com/Drinks/
Sake -http://www.sake.com/
Brugal- Brugal- Dominican white



Always remember to drink responsibily


Have a great weekend!!

All photos courtesy istockphotos.