How do you make a good mojito?

Answer 1

1 blood orange, cut into 32 pieces
32 fresh small basil leaves or mint leaves, reserve a few for garnish
16 teaspoons natural raw cane sugar (demerara sugar)
8 to 10 cups small ice cubes or chipped ice
8 tablespoons basil syrup, recipe follows, or simple syrup
2 cups light rum
2 cups seltzer water or sparkling water
Sugar cane sticks, for garnishing

Place pieces of orange in each of 8 (12-ounce) rocks glasses, and top each glass with a couple basil leaves or a mint leaves. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of cane sugar in each glass and, using a muddler, crush the orange pieces while bruising the basil with the sugar. Fill each glass just below the rim with ice (about 1 to 1 1/4 cups in each glass). Add a tablespoon of the basil syrup and 1/4 cup of the rum to each of the glasses.
Use a shaker to vigorously shake the contents of the glass together for at least 30 seconds. Pour the mojito back in the glass, and top off the glass with seltzer or sparkling water. Place a sugar cane stick in each glass. Garnish each drink with 1 of the remaining basil or mint leaves. Serve immediately.



Basil Syrup:
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 cup packed well-washed fresh basil leaves

Place the sugar and the water in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to help dissolve the sugar. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove the syrup from the heat, and add the basil leaves to the saucepan. Allow the syrup to sit for at least 1 hour before straining through a fine-mesh sieve. Discard the basil leaves. Store the syrup in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator until ready to use. Syrup will keep, refrigerated, for several weeks.
Yield: about 2 cups

Answer 2

I think the key to a good mojito is making the simple syrup yourself.

Just heat equal parts sugar and water on a stove until it boils. Refrigerate the mixture and then (once it's cold) add it to your mojito.

I also find that a splash (about 1/4 ounce) of Rumpleminze works well in a pinch if you dont have any mint leaves. Too much Rumpleminze overpowers the lime flavor of the drink.

Answer 3

Use:
fresh mint leaves, about a handful
2 teaspoons of brown sugar
2 wedges of lime cut in half
muddle or crush that all together in the glass
pour in 2 shots of rum or tequila
fill the rest of the way up with club soda
stir it up and enjoy!

Answer 4

If you want to make just one or two drinks:

Squeeze the juice from half a lime into an empty glass. Add a pinch of sugar. Add a few mint leaves and crush in the juice until the mint leaves are pulpy. Add rum and stir. Add crushed ice. That's it.

Answer 5

What in the heck is a Mojito???

Answer 6

Gotta have fresh mint leaves.