The Anatomy of a Mojito

I am a big fan of variety and feel people should find things in life that offers something different to do or think about.  Each year as part of my New Years resolution I write out a list of things I am going to look for the "Best Of".  You know, things like the Bet Golf Course, the Best Steak and the Best Place to have a Business Golf Meeting.

This year I continue to look for the "Best Mojito".  Of course, my all time search for the "Best Martini" will continue each year because…well, there is nothing better to wash out the taste of a bad Mojito than a good Martini.  I’ll save for another time what I do when I get a Bad Martini…

I have not been out and about as much due to me having to hibernate longer this year here in the Bagroom Studio hammering out the new direction for my company, IBGS and the launch of the Business Golf Country Club . 

Now that things are falling into place I am still not getting out as much, but I know that before the end of the year I will have plenty of opportunities to hunt down that Best Mojito.

So to make up for me not being out in the golf world that would draw me to the local watering holes where the bartenders hone their craft, I have been online looking for different recipes some of the experts say are the best  Mojitos.  Believe me, I have tried over a dozen different recipes and found that the one I like the best (so far) is the one I make from several mixes.

Now for those of you who have not had the pleasure of having a well made Mojito here is what you should expect. 

Sugary sweet is the first taste your tongue should detect and then the tart that is produced from the lime combining with the Club Soda. 

The Rum should not be noticeable until it hits the back of your throat and it should not be over bearing. 

Yes, Mojitos run a little sweet if not done correctly.  What I look for is what I categorize as a True Cocktail. A true cocktail usually uses a natural fruit juice with alcohol.  The Hard Drinks are like the Whiskey and Water mixes or Martinis. 

What I do like about Mojitos is they are Truly Refreshing drinks and the alcohol does not overtake the taste of the drink.  It is rather thirst quenching.  OR It should be….I have some that had no punch to them at all and then some that were just tasting a Bacardi advertisement in a glass.

When it comes to drinks, I like fresh natural ingredients..I am not a big Pre-Mix drink fan.  There is NOTHING worst than a syrupy mix to ruin a good alcohol.  And I am not a big fan for Club Soda.  However I was surprise to find out that Mojitos were pretty dad-burn tasty.

As far as Rum, I am not a big Rum fan, but hey, I was looking for variety in life and I am open to finding things that are different.  I do like quality so I look to the Top Shelf first.  Brands are not important until someone starts paying me to promote one, but quality is.  What I found was the Aged Rums had a much better flavor.  Why? I have no idea, they just were much smoother tasting.

When you find aged run it usually is a Dark Rum..very few of the aged rums are the normal clear (light) rums.  So since the Darker Rums had a better flavor I used Dark Rums in the Mojitos I made myself. 

There is nothing more refreshing after a round of business golf in the summer to sit-down and have a refreshing well made Mojito before dinner.

So here is the recipe for what I call…

The Business Golf Mojito:

Utensils Needed:

• 16oz Glass
• Teaspoon (for stirring)
• Sharp Knife
• Cutting Board (or counter to cut the lime on)
• Wooden Pestle (or the flat in of a Wooden Spoon)

Ingredients:

• Crushed (not cubed) Ice
• Fresh Mint
• Brown Pure Cane Sugar (Key Feature of my version of Mojito)
• White Pure Cane Sugar
• Lime
• Lime Juice
• Club Soda
• Dark Rum

Step One: Preparation

Sugar Water: Now I like to make enough of the Sugar Water (as I call it) for several drinks.  So the following is enough for four or five drinks.

In microwaveable cup or bowl mix 1/4 Cup of Brown Sugar with a 1/4 Cup of White Sugar with a 1/2 Cup of water.  Stir it up and place it in the microwave for less than 1 minute.  This helps dissolve the sugar.  If you are out on a boat or in the golf cart and don’t have a microwave, just keep stirring until the sugar dissolves into a thick watery soup..not a paste..keep adding water by the tablespoon until it becomes a thick watery paste..like watery syrup.

Yaw, this is going to make enough sugar water for several drinks, but you can store it.  I use a salad shaker with a sealed lid to keep it in the refrigerator.

Cut the Lime in half and then into about a 1/4 inch  2 half moon slices.

That’s it for prep work..you are ready for the main event.

Step Two: The Mixing

In the 12oz glass (it can be bigger if your round of golf really sucked) tear up two average size Mint Leaves. 

I am hearing that the bottom leaves of the plant are the strongest in flavor so if you are really into the mint flavor go for the bottom coarser leaves.  If you are just wanting to cut to the chase, just pick any of them and tear them into pieces and place them in the bottom of the glass.  The tearing of the leaves helps release the Mint Oil (Yaw, I didn’t know that Mint had an oil either.)

Now throw the two Lime slices in the glass with the Mint leaves.  With the Wooden Pestle (or wooden spoon handle) grind the lime and mint together for about three grinds..OK, for your Type A people, you can do like they do in the movies and stand there and grind on the lime and mint while singing some Pirate song…all you want to do is to release the Mint Oil into the Lime. 

Now, fill the glass half full of Crushed Ice and put a splash of Lime Juice in the Glass  …not too much ice, just half full or less.

Now pour in

1. two shots of Sugar Water (You can guess the amount)
2. and 2 shots of Dark Rum (yes I like my drinks to talk to me).

Then splash in the Club Soda to fill the glass and STIR.

There ya go…one of the Best Summer Drinks I have found…so far.  I am still looking but this one really takes the edge off a crappy round of golf or a business meeting that was a little heated.

Let Me Know How I Can Help.

Please drink responsibly and NEVER DRIVE after having a drink..especially one of these Dark Rum Brown Sugar puppies I made.