Cocktails 101: The Mojito

Your summer starts right now.

On the easy end of the scale of cocktail difficulty is the dorm-room classic of any liquor mixed with anything that’s not liquor and served in a paper cup while trying to keep it down so the RA doesn’t hear. At the other end are recipes that call for you to ignite a mist of bitters in order to brûlée the sugar-dusted brandied cherries at the bottom of your glass. In between is the mojito. It requires a little more time and care than most home-mixed drinks, but if you are comfortable operating a spoon, a glass, and an ice cube tray, you have the skills you need to make it.

Sweet, effervescent, and refreshing, the mojito is the perfect cool-down drink to kick off a summer evening. The trick is in the muddling. The difference between a refreshingly minty mojito and one that's a mess of shredded leaves is a mixologist who has roughed up the mint a little without completely destroying it. Other than that, everything's pretty straightforward. Once you have your muddling technique down, you can up the lime or syrup depending on your preferences and ease up on the seltzer if you like a stronger-tasting drink.

Mojitos
makes 2 drinks

2 ounces fresh-squeezed lime juice
2 ounces simple syrup
4 ounces white rum
6 sprigs mint
2 lime slices
club soda
ice 

Add lime juice, simple syrup, and mint leaves to a cocktail shaker. Gently muddle the mint — just enough to release the oils. Add the rum and plenty of ice, and shake vigorously.

Strain the cocktail into ice-filled Collins glasses. Top off with club soda; garnish each with a sprig of mint and a slice of lime.

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